| |
Pathophysiology of cerebral palsy: General Information Cerebral palsy can be termed as a static encephalopathy caused by an insult to the brain of the newborn baby during the prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal period. Cerebral palsy is a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement. Cerebral palsy is generally caused by the faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain that disrupts the brain's ability to control movement and posture. The symptoms of the cerebral palsy vary in terms of severity. The main
symptoms of the cerebral palsy include difficulty with normal motor tasks such as writing or using scissors, difficulty in walking and imbalanced pasture. Cerebral palsy normally do not get worsen over the time. Cerebral palsy can lead to global dysfunction but always includes motor problems.
Pathophysiology:
There are mainly four types of cerebral palsy based on the movement dysfunction. First is Spastic cerebral palsy in which the sudden, involuntary movements are seen in the patient. These movements are stiff and difficult. The second is Athetoid characterized with uncontrolled, slow, writhing movements. The third type is Ataxic cerebral palsy in which irregular muscle coordination and lack of balance can be noticed. The fourth and final type is mixed cerebral palsy, which is a combination of two or more types. The cerebral insults have a wide range and include vascular, hypoxic-ischemic, metabolic, infectious, traumatic, and genetic causes. There may be some other causes also.
The spasticity results because of too much facilitatory input from the spinal reflex arc. This spinal reflex arc is generated by a stretch put on the muscle spindle. The spindle sends information to the spinal cord that generally is controlled by the descending tracts. If these tracts are injured, then an uncontrolled facilitation occurs that causes the muscle to contract. The muscle takes up the length on the spindle. The basal ganglia are a contributor to the extra pyramidal system of the muscles. It is an important center for movements related to posture, automatic movements and skilled volitional movements. Injuries or insults in this area often results in the difficulty in stopping motion, rigidity, tremor or chorea. These symptoms are medically known as akinesia. Inability to control the range of motion in an activity also results due to the insult to cerebellum.
Cerebral Palsy Equipment - "Playing combined with Teaching"
Food, water, clothing and playing share one thing in common - they are a part of a cerebral palsy child's basic necessities to thrive in life. It is a necessity for all children to play in their lives. Notwithstanding a child's interest and...
Cerebral Palsy Association - Associations fighting for a cause.
Cerebral palsy or CP is the most common physical disability that occurs to a child mostly during birth. It is a permanent physical condition that affects birth. It refers to a group of disorders that affect the posture and also causing limitations...
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy-Its Characteristics
What is Cerebral Palsy? Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of permanent brain injuries that affect normal muscle coordination and movement. It is life-long, non-progressive neurological disorder that disrupts the communication between the brain...
Living With Cerebral Palsy-This is not the end.
Cerebral Palsy Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of neurological disorders that affect the normal functioning of the brain. It results from brain damage and generally affects an infant in the mother's womb, during or after childbirth. It is a...
Exercise and cerebral palsy-" getting better"
Benefits: The exercise program should be individualized to meet the goals and potential of each person. The exercise is important for persons with disability due to cerebral palsy and neuromuscular disorder. It increases and maintains the heart...
|
|
|
|
|
