Data collected from a registry established at a private U.S. cord blood bank called the Longitudinal Umbilical Stem cell Monitoring and Treatment Research (LUSTRE) may provide valuable information about patients with cerebral palsy, according to researchers. Their findings were published in the study, “Comparison of children diagnosed with…
Camping isn’t on the top 10 list of activities for people with disabilities. Growing up, I went to a summer camp for children with disabilities, but I stayed in cabins with bathrooms. Five years ago, my husband asked me to go camping. I didn’t think it would work…
Adding core stability exercises to physical therapy improves trunk endurance — the ability to withstand fatigue — and walking ability in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, according to researchers. Their small study, “Trunk endurance and gait changes after core stability training in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: A…
A virtual reality system equipped with wearable haptic technology could help children with cerebral palsy and other neuromotor impairments rehabilitate upper limbs, an Italian study suggested. The study, “Wearable haptics and immersive virtual reality rehabilitation training in children with neuromotor impairments,” was published in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems…
A low-cost, portable robot for arm motor rehabilitation has been developed by University of Michigan researchers. The device can be used at home and facilitates motor recovery in patients with cerebral palsy, stroke, and spinal cord injury. The study, “A Portable…
Being in an emergency situation while feeling helpless is a terrifying experience. I try to prevent emergencies by planning for the worst. However, awful situations happen, no matter how much one plans ahead. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I took an infant CPR class. The instructor…
Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic sialorrhea, or excessive drooling, a condition often experienced by people with cerebral palsy. Merz Neurosciences, a division of Merz North America, announced that its supplemental biologics license application (sLBA)…
DNA modifications in circulating blood cells could be used one day as a test to distinguish patients with spastic cerebral palsy from healthy individuals with an accuracy of 73 percent, new research shows. The study, “Epigenetic machine learning: utilizing DNA methylation patterns to predict spastic cerebral palsy,” was…
Hey, everyone! Last week I wrote a column that didn’t get a chance to be published. I thought I would have it for you this week, but it’s going to take some extra time. This week, instead, I’ll discuss dating and being in a relationship with a partner…
Therapeutic hypothermia — induced cooling of the body for a short time — in newborn babies deprived of oxygen at or around the time of their birth is effective in preventing cerebral palsy, according to a review study. Likewise, caffeine given to preterm newborns as they were being weaned from…