The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) has awarded postdoctoral bioengineer Xuan Liu a $70,000 Switzer Research Fellowship for mobility research in cerebral palsy (CP). The merit award will fund “Biofeedback gait retraining for stiff knee correction: Multi-joint adaptation in children with…
A structured home-based exercise program can improve walking ability in children with cerebral palsy (CP), a new has study found. Results of the research, “Structured home-based exercise program for improving walking ability in ambulant children with cerebral palsy,” were published in Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine. Physical…
Transplanting stem cells from the bone marrow to the spinal canal — where they can reach the brain — improves motor function and muscle tone in people with cerebral palsy (CP) related to jaundice, an open-label study shows. The study, “Improvement in gross motor function…
Surf therapy is a viable therapeutic option to improve physical fitness among children living with physical disabilities due to cerebral palsy, a study says. The findings of the study, “Effectiveness of surf therapy for children with disabilities,” were published in Disability and Health Journal. Previous studies have…
My parents married in 1998, and one year later, I was born. My mom was given a private room in a private hospital, but shortly after that, she was transported to a public hospital. She felt me moving and told the nurse that something was wrong, but the nurse did…
Administration of a muscle relaxant called baclofen into the spinal canal of children under 6 with spastic cerebral palsy is as safe and effective as it is for older pediatric patients, according to a recent retrospective study. The results, “Intrathecal baclofen therapy for treatment of spasticity in infants…
Selective dorsal rhizotomy — a surgical method used to treat spasticity in people with cerebral palsy — leads to significant short-term improvements in gait, a new study shows. “The short-term effects of selective dorsal rhizotomy on gait compared to matched cerebral palsy control groups” was published in the journal…
A recent study found that adults with cerebral palsy have a higher risk of developing mental health conditions, highlighting the need for better holistic care in this population. The study, “Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders Among Adults With Cerebral Palsy: A Cross-sectional Analysis,” was published in the…
My life has been a good one, despite its ups and downs. I was born in Tokyo and during my early years of living in Japan, I experienced discrimination due to my diagnoses of spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and esotropia. My parents tried to shield me from prejudice as…
Parents of children with cerebral palsy are more likely to experience mental illness, a review paper suggests — but there is relatively little data available, and more studies are necessary. Titled “Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and substance-related disorders in parents of children with cerebral palsy: a…