What is Cerebral Palsy: Guiding Basics

Many people, when confronted with the words “cerebral” and “palsy”, automatically think of diseases where the person has seizures and mentally challenged. Some also think of certain microbes such as bacteria and viruses. To help end this misnomers and misconceptions, here are the basic facts that you need to know about cerebral palsy.

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is actually a collection of disorders making it a syndrome. This is characterized with abnormalities in the motor function. The reason for this is that certain parts of the brain that are supposed to command the body’s motor system bear lesions that do not progress into deterioration of the brain. Brain lesions are abnormalities in the brain’s structure as well as function.

As you know, the body’s motor system is the one that makes us move as well as control these movements. Appearance of a brain lesion in these areas greatly affects the coordination, control, and even initiation of movements.

What causes it?

Another thing that you must know in order to understand more about what is cerebral palsy is its cause. This group of disorders is said to be caused by damage to the brain during its developmental stage. During the fetal stage, or when a baby is still in the womb, his brain is developing fast.

By introducing insult or damage to it, such as when the mother receives a rather large blow in the abdominal area while pregnant, the developing brain will have lesions. If the lesions develop in the brain areas that functions to control the motor system, the baby will be left with cerebral palsy.

Premature birth puts babies at risk for cerebral palsy. The reason for this is that the premature brain is at risk for bleeding especially during delivery. When the bleeding is severe, it can lead to cerebral palsy.

What are its signs and symptoms?

Other basic facts that you must know that still pertain to what is cerebral palsy are its signs and symptoms. Basically, cerebral palsy is manifested in children as early as age 1 year old. It is characterized by an abnormal postural tone as well as abnormal motor functioning.

The signs and symptoms that children with cerebral palsy manifest depend greatly on the area of the brain that contains the lesions. Some children have muscle tightness or spasms. Other children produce involuntary movements. Other children have problems with their gross motor skills such as running. Still, other children have fine motor skill problems such as being unable to pick up a pin. Other children also have problems with their perception and sensation.

How is it diagnosed?

Another fact that you must know to answer the question, “What is cerebral palsy” are the tests used to make its diagnosis. Apart from knowing the signs and symptoms, doctors make use of MRI and CAT scans to check out the brain lesions.

Can cerebral palsy be cured?

The most important thing to know about what is cerebral palsy is that it can not be cured. Children diagnosed with it have to learn how to live with it for the rest of their lives.

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What Is Cerebral Palsy

cerebral palsy what is it

What is Cerebral Palsy: Guiding Basics

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