Article

Cerebral palsy (CP) is defined as motor impairment that limits activity, and is
attributed to non-progressive disturbances during brain development in fetuses or
infants. The motor disorders of CP are frequently accompanied by impaired
cognition, communication, and sensory perception, behavioural abnormalities,
seizure disorders, or a combination of these features. CP is thought to affect
three to four individuals per 1000 of the general population.
The incidence,
prevalence, and most common causes of CP have varied over time because of changes
in prenatal and paediatric care. Medical management of children and adults
involves care from primary-care physicians with input from specialists in
neurology, orthopaedics, and rehabilitation medicine. Physicians should also work
in conjunction with rehabilitation therapists, educators, nurses, social care
providers, and schoolteachers. The focus of rehabilitation treatment has recently
shifted to neurological rehabilitation in response to increasing evidence for
neuroplasticity. This approach aims to improve development and function by
capitalising on the innate capacity of the brain to change and adapt throughout
the patient's life. As the life expectancy of individuals with CP approaches that
of the general population, therapies must be developed that address the needs of
adults ageing with disability.
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Langue : ANGLAIS