CEREBRAL PALSY
Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition affecting mobility, muscle tone, and posture. It is caused by brain injury in the embryonic stage, which commonly occurs before birth.
Cerebral palsy is divided into numerous types:
Spastic cerebral palsy: The most prevalent type of CP. It is distinguished by tense muscles and hyperactive reflexes
. 2-Dyskinetic cerebral palsy is characterized by uncontrollable movements and muscle contractions, making sitting and walking difficult. Athetoid, choreoathetoid, and dystonic cerebral palsies are all included.
3-Ataxic cerebral palsy is characterized by poor balance, coordination, and depth perception, making fast movements or those requiring a lot of control difficult.
4-Mixed cerebral palsy: A combination of the above categories, the most prevalent of which is spastic-dyskinetic CP
CAUSES OF CEREBRAL PALSY
Cerebral palsy can be caused by brain injury occurring before, during, or shortly after birth. Cerebral palsy can be caused by factors such as infections during pregnancy, a lack of oxygen to the brain, hereditary disorders, and delivery problems.
Risk factors include:-
Prematurity is a high-risk factor – In premature children, if the birth weight is appropriate for gestational age, the risk is reduced; however, if the birth weight is low and not appropriate for gestational age, there is a high chance of developing developmental disorders such as cerebral palsy.
- Substance abuse, cigarette smoking
- Poor maternal nutrition and many fetuses.
- Mother’s trauma
- Fetal brain injury caused by impaired circulation, poor respiration, or low birth weight.
- Hyperbilirubinemia (high bilirubin levels in blood)
- ABO group incompatibility.
- Neonatal asphyxia caused by obstetrical mishaps such as breach presentation, triggered birth, dry delivery, preterm, postterm, forceps delivery, and caesarean section.
- Mechanical issues, such as an umbilical cord around the neck.
- Hydrocephaly and anencephaly (lack of skull or big)
Postnatal brain injury can come from:
⎯ Physical trauma
⎯ Infection
⎯ Respiratory distress
⎯ Cerebrovascular diseases
SYMPTOMS OF CP
Cerebral palsy symptoms may include :-
• muscle stiffness
• poor coordination
• tremors
• involuntary movements
• developmental delays
• difficulty with fine motor skills
• Excessive drooling and swallowing
• Difficulty in walking
• neurological problems, such as seizures, intellectual disabilities, and blindness
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF CP
- Speaking difficulties caused by muscle weakness, slowness, or incoordination
- Dysphonia
- Difficulty synchronizing muscle movements for speech.
- Difficulty pronouncing certain sounds or words.
- Difficulty with language.
- Slow speech rate and uneven rhythm
- Prolonged or repeated sounds, phrases, or words.
- Voice quality issues such as hoarseness, nasality, or other odd qualities
- Difficulty with speech resonance, leading to nasal or muted sounds
- Difficulties with cognitive and communicative skills.
DIAGNOSIS OF CP
• Developmental monitoring
• Developmental screening
• Developmental and medical evaluations
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• MRI
• CT scan
• Ultrasound.
• Blood tests
TREATMENT OF CP
Cerebral palsy treatment focuses on symptom management and enhancing overall quality of life.Physical treatment, occupational therapy, speech therapy, drugs to treat symptoms such as muscle spasticity, orthotic devices, and, in certain cases, surgery to rectify deformities or lessen spasticity are also options. Individuals with cerebral palsy require early intervention to attain their full potential and improve their quality of life.
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE INTERVENTION OF CP
Speech and language treatment for cerebral palsy (CP) aims to improve communication skills and address related challenges. Treatment approaches include:
1. Speech therapy
2. Language therapy
3. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
4. Oral motor therapy
5 .Parent-child interaction therapy
6.Cognitive-communication therapy
7. Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT)