This recent study found that over half of children and young people with Cerebral Palsy have more than one movement disorder, which is more common than previously thought.
Dr. Heather Riordan explains how different motor types can occur at the same time in some people and how to decide what to treat first.
Neurologist and movement disorder specialist, Heather Riordan, MD, describes the Chorea in Cerebral Palsy and what to do if it is impacting your function.
Do you or your child have movements that are difficult to control? Is your mobility and function impacted by abnormal movements or do these movements cause pain? If so, you or your child may have Dyskinesia. If you want to learn more, including how it is treated, don't miss this educational Town Hall with experts Dr. Heather Riordan, from Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Dr. Michael Kruer, from Phoenix Children's.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Dr. Heather Riordan, Director of the Phelps Center for Cerebral Palsy at the Kennedy Krieger Institute discuss dyskinesia.
If you or your child have cerebral palsy where the cause is unclear, there are no-cost genetic tests and no-cost genetic counseling that can help answer some of these questions.
The Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy Functional Impact Scale is a new tool useful measuring the functional impact of dyskinesia on children's movements and postures and the perceived impact of dyskinesia on daily activities. It can can help identify priorities for intervention.
This systematic review looks at all available evidence for pharmacological/neurosurgical interventions for managing dystonia in individuals with cerebral palsy to inform the AACPDM care pathway.
Hypotonic CP, also known as hypotonia, is a form of cerebral palsy that causes low muscle tone. In other words, the muscles are overly relaxed and your child may feel floppy.
Mixed types of CP refer to symptoms that don’t correspond to any single type of CP but are a mix of types. For example, a child with mixed CP may have some muscles that are too tight and others that are too relaxed.
Ataxia affects balance and depth perception. Children with ataxia will often have poor coordination and walk unsteadily with a wide-based gait.
Dyskinesia is an umbrella term encompassing a range of different movements. These are all movements that can be out of your control. Dyskinesia is very common in cerebral palsy.
Dr. Bhooma Aravamuthan presents Understanding Dystonia: Diagnosis and Treatment at the 2020 AACPDM Community Forum. Moderated by Council Chair, Jen Lyman.
The Dystonia Care Pathway was updated in 2024 based on best available evidence. The goal of the these Care Pathways is to help Health Care Professionals understand the research evidence on the topic so that they can make clinical decisions for the care of the individual.
Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type of CP. People will experience increased muscle tone and their movements may appear stiff or awkward.
People who have dyskinetic cerebral palsy experience involuntary movements that are difficult to control. These movements can be slow, twisting and writhing, or rapid and jerky, and can impact movement in the hands, arms, feet, legs and even the face or tongue.
Do you or your child have movements that are difficult to control? Is your mobility and function impacted by abnormal movements and cause pain? If so, you or your child may have Dyskinesia. If you want to learn more, including how it is treated, please join us on for a new educational Town Hall with experts Dr. Susan Biffl, from Rady Children's Hospital, and Dr. Mark Gormley, from Gillette Children's.
Bimanual therapy, also referred to as intensive bimanual training, engages patients in active play or practice to improve the use and coordination of both hands. Bimanual therapy is different from similar unimanual therapies, like constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), because it promotes simultaneous use of both hands.
This study highlights caregiver knowledge and preferences to understanding the GMFCS and how that information should be relayed from clinicians.
The GMFCS, MACS and CFCS are all tools used by therapists and researchers to help classify the functional capabilities of individuals with CP. This research article provides evidence of their stability over time.
The GMFCS can be a helpful tool in clinical and research use and has been shown to be stable and accurate over time. It can also help individuals and families better understand cerebral palsy.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and occupational therapist Lorene Janowski discuss OT at home.
The EazyHold® universal cuff is the answer to gripissues that parents, occupational therapists, schools, hospitals, and care facilities have been seeking. The patented design, available in multiple sizes, gives children and adults the ability to hold onto and use tons of items with ease.
Upper limb therapies and interventions have been well studied in cerebral palsy. Different interventions that have good evidence are Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and Bimanual Therapy. CIMT has been shown to be successful in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP). CIMT uses a splint to physically constrain the uninvolved arm and encourage them to use the more involved or affected arm.
