Children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP) have a preserved ability to imagine grasping with both hands, according to a new study. The findings suggest that tapping into that ability during rehabilitation therapy could help recover hand function and upper limb movements in children with CP. The research, “…

Functional power training may help improve gait patterns in children with cerebral palsy, but the effects may be small and only detectable at higher walking speeds, a small study has found. The study, “Effects of functional power training on gait kinematics in children with cerebral palsy,” was…

Interruptions in physical therapy aggravate muscle stiffness, or spasticity, and decrease joint movement in children with cerebral palsy (CP), a Korean study suggests. The study, “The Role of Regular Physical Therapy on Spasticity in Children With Cerebral Palsy,” was published in the journal Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.  Cerebral palsy…

A new study reports that cerebral palsy patients with poorer motor function abilities are more likely to have strabismus. The study, “Strabismus is correlated with gross motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy,” was published in the journal Current Eye Research. Strabismus is when a person’s…

Strength training has the potential to reduce muscle weakness and improve walking ability of children with cerebral palsy (CP), but should be adapted to each child’s muscle response, a study reports. The study, “Strength Training…

Cerebral palsy is one of the most diverse disabilities because each type is different than the other. The form of cerebral palsy I have is a complicated one. I’d love to find more people who have similar experiences as mine. I have a mix of spastic cerebral palsy,…

Understanding physiological abnormalities that lead to difficulties in swallowing and voluntary cough in children with spastic cerebral palsy may help doctors to better manage dysphagia — problems with swallowing — in this patient population, a study finds. The study, “Voluntary Cough and Clinical Swallow Function in Children with Spastic Cerebral…

Extensive motor analysis to evaluate several gait parameters is among the good predictors of Achilles tendon lengthening surgery success in children with spastic cerebral palsy, according to a cross-sectional retrospective study. The study, “Use of 3D gait analysis as predictor of achilles tendon lengthening surgery outcomes in children…

Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A, Botox) treatment prior to intensive physiotherapy may not induce additional benefits in terms of motor function, muscle strength, and pain in children with spastic cerebral palsy compared to physiotherapy alone, according to a Dutch study. The study, “Intramuscular botulinum toxin prior to comprehensive rehabilitation…

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…