The syndrome of cerebral palsy in patients can manifest itself in different ways. In some cases, these are only mental disorders, but there are also serious movement disorders. There is still no consensus on whether this disease is considered hereditary. Most experts have come to the conclusion that it still does not belong to the genetic, but the factor of influence of relatives is present. In this article, we will talk about the causes, symptoms, treatment of the disease, as well as similar diseases.
Features of the disease
Cerebral palsy syndrome stands for cerebral palsy. Today it is a very common disease in many children. According to official statistics alone, about 120 thousand people suffer from it in Russia.
In fact, cerebral palsy syndrome is an ailment directly related to the central nervous system. In this case, one or severalsections of the brain. So, non-progressive disorders of muscle and motor activity, hearing, vision, coordination of movements, psyche and speech begin to develop.
This is due to problems that arise directly in the child's brain. The very concept of "cerebral" has Latin roots. It comes from the word "brain", and paralysis is literally translated from Greek as "relaxation".
Reasons
The main causes of cerebral palsy syndrome are difficult to determine. Moreover, in modern medicine there is no clear idea about this problem. It is absolutely certain that this disease cannot be contracted. Most experts agree that it is developing:
- due to birth trauma;
- infections;
- injury received in the first year of life;
- acute hypoxia, that is, lack of oxygen, which should enter the baby's brain at birth, which leads to hemorrhages and death of brain cells.
As a result, we can conclude that damage to brain cells is the main cause of the disease. Moreover, the patient can receive it both in the prenatal and postnatal period. That's why babies are born with cerebral palsy.
Sometimes the development of the disease is provoked by endocrine abnormalities that the mother suffers during pregnancy. Untimely placental abruption and poor ambient background radiation also have a significant impact. According to statistics, about half of patients with thisdiagnosed are born prematurely.
Currently, doctors identify key factors that can lead to the onset of the disease:
- untimely placental abruption;
- prematurity, low birth weight;
- the birth of a too large fetus;
- clinically and anatomically narrow pelvis;
- mal presentation of the fetus;
- rapid labor;
- group incompatibility or negative Rh factor of mother and fetus;
- Rhodostimulation and labor induction.
The presence of one or more of the following factors can lead to the development of this disease.
What is the difference between cerebral palsy syndrome and cerebral palsy?
This question is asked by many parents who seek to understand the features of the disease, to understand the nuances of the diagnosis. It should be noted that there is essentially no difference between cerebral palsy and cerebral palsy. Most specialists use these two medical concepts as equivalent.
However, in some cases, the difference between cerebral palsy syndrome and cerebral palsy can still be traced. As a rule, a diagnosis with a clarification of the syndrome is made up to a year, when there is still no complete certainty that the disease will remain with the patient for a long time. When this age passes, and the child has not recovered and has not outgrown the problems that have arisen, the doctors already give him an official diagnosis. We can say, specifying the word "syndrome", some doctors play it safe if they are not sure that the newborn suffers from this particular ailment. This is how cerebral palsy syndrome differs from cerebral palsy.
Symptoms
Symptoms of the disease appear at different times. As a rule, immediately after the birth of the child. In other situations, they come on gradually. Then it is important to recognize them in time in order to start timely treatment.
The main symptom of cerebral palsy syndrome is movement disorders. Children with this diagnosis begin later to hold their heads, crawl, sit, roll over and walk. At the same time, for a longer period, they retain reflexes characteristic of infants. For example, their muscles may be too tight or too relaxed. Both conditions lead to a situation in which the limbs assume an unnatural position. A third of patients with cerebral palsy syndrome experience convulsions. Often this symptom does not appear in infancy, but much later.
In addition, the classic symptoms of this disease are problems with speech, vision, hearing, impaired perception, epilepsy, inability to navigate in space, delayed emotional and mental development. In a later period, there are functional failures in the work of the intestines and stomach, learning problems, difficulties with the urinary system.
It is not easy to recognize cerebral palsy syndrome in newborns at an early age. It is important to carefully monitor the behavior of the child. It is worth worrying and seeking advice from a neurologist in the following situations:
- At the age of one month, the baby does not blink his eyes in response to a loud sound.
- At the age of four months, the baby does not stretchbehind a toy or does not respond by turning his head to a loud voice or sound.
- At 7 months of age, a newborn is unable to sit up on his own.
- At the age of one year, the baby does not utter a single word, performs all actions exclusively with one hand or does not walk.
You should also worry about strabismus, convulsions, too slow or sudden movements.
Disease forms
This disease has various manifestations. They differ depending on which area of the brain is affected. In some cases, the manifestations of cerebral palsy may be minimal, in others they are extremely serious. The main types of cerebral palsy include spastic diplegia, hemiparetic, hyperkinetic, atonic-astatic forms, double hemiplegia.
The most common spastic cerebral palsy syndrome. It occurs in about forty percent of cases. In this situation, the part of the brain that controls the movement of the limbs is affected. Because of this, partial or complete paralysis of the legs and arms occurs. Also, this disease is known under the name of Little's disease.
The situation is aggravated by dysfunction of the muscles on both sides. In this case, the muscles of the legs are affected to a greater extent than the muscles of the face or arms. This form of the disease is characterized by deformity of the joints and spine, early formation of contractures.
In most cases, this diagnosis is given to premature newborns who were born prematurely. For example, due to intraventricularhemorrhages or other causes. The middle and posterior regions of the brain are mostly affected. With this form of the disease, muscle spasticity in the legs, tetraplegia are observed.
The most common manifestations are mental retardation and speech development, dysarthria, elements of pseudobulbar syndrome in cerebral palsy. Often there is a pathology of the cranial nerves, due to which the patient has atrophy of the optic nerves, strabismus, speech problems in the form of a delay in its appearance or hearing impairment, some decrease in intelligence, which can be caused by environmental influences, such as segregation or insults.
The prognosis of motor abilities is less favorable than with hemiparesis. With this form of the disease, children with cerebral palsy syndrome have a more loyal prognosis regarding social adaptation. The degree of adaptation in this case can reach a normal level with stable hand work and appropriate mental development.
Hemiplegia in patients manifests itself in unilateral spastic hemiparesis. In this case, the hands suffer much more than the legs. The cause of this in premature infants is periventricular infarction, usually unilateral, as well as ischemic infarction, congenital cerebral anomaly, intracerebral hemorrhage, which develops only in one of the hemispheres. In most situations, such manifestations are characteristic of premature babies.
Children diagnosed with hemiplegia later than their peers acquire age-appropriate skills. Because of this, the level of socialadaptation is determined not by motor defects, but by the intellectual capabilities of the child. The clinical picture leads to the development of spastic hemiparesis, speech and mental delay. With this form, epileptic seizures are possible.
The most severe variety is double hemiplegia. In this situation, the large hemispheres of the brain suffer. Thus, muscle rigidity develops. Children with this diagnosis are not able to stand, hold their heads, sit, and move normally. In the hemiparetic form, only one of the cerebral hemispheres with subcortical and cortical structures is affected. This provokes hemiparesis of the limbs on one side of the patient's body.
But the hyperkinetic form is manifested in the defeat of subcortical structures, which is expressed in involuntary movements of the limbs. They are called hyperkinesis. This form of the disease is regularly encountered along with spastic diplegia.
Finally, the atonic-astatic form, which appears when the cerebellum is damaged, is considered very common. At the same time, the sense of balance, coordination of movements suffers, and muscle atony occurs.
Treatment methods
Treatment of cerebral palsy is linked to rehabilitation. This is a lifelong process, since it is impossible to completely cope with this disease. Rehabilitation is based on two key principles, which are continuity and an integrated approach. In addition, cerebral palsy requires correction of not only motor, but also communicative, speech and intellectualskills.
The fact that it is impossible to completely cure cerebral palsy does not mean that this disease is a sentence. Most patients are able to lead a normal life in adulthood without assistance. It all depends on what measures were taken to minimize the damage to their he alth in infancy.
The human brain develops as actively as possible in childhood. At the same time, it has more compensatory capabilities than the brain of an adult. Therefore, treatment started as early as possible will be most effective.
In most cases, it is aimed at eliminating specific symptoms. Therefore, many people call it not treatment, but rehabilitation, which is focused on restoring functions that have suffered as a result of the development of the disease. One of the most effective methods to reduce the effects of cerebral palsy is massage. With it, you can normalize muscle tone. Also, in the process of rehabilitation, therapeutic exercises are actively used. Such physical education helps to improve coordination of movements. However, it is able to give a tangible effect only if classes are held on a regular basis throughout life. Also, classes on special simulators can provide a good result.
If the patient does not have seizures, physiotherapy may be recommended. This is electrophoresis or myostimulation. Many experts also recommend electroreflexotherapy, which helps in restoring the activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex. itreduces muscle tone, improves speech, coordination and diction. Also, after consulting with your doctor, you can take specific drugs that improve brain activity.
Laboratory studies
According to the latest laboratory studies by Russian scientists, in children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy, all kinds of metabolic disorders were revealed, which manifest themselves in tissue hypoxia, that is, in oxygen starvation of cells, in an increased intensity of free radical oxidation of fatty molecules, that is, lipids, as well as in the compensatory tension of the antioxidant system.
These studies allow us to conclude that patients with cerebral palsy develop background diseases that can significantly worsen their general condition. It may be rickets due to insufficient bone mineralization; anemia due to low levels of red blood cells and hemoglobin; malnutrition, characterized by protein-energy deficiency. In some cases, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, ENT organs, and kidneys occur.
Also, experts managed to establish a direct relationship between biochemical disorders and the severity of manifestations of cerebral palsy. All this testifies to the importance of individual diagnostics, control of biochemical imbalances in the body, which allows compensating for deviations from the biological norm through lifestyle correction and specialized diets.
The result may be a significantly increased efficiency of rehabilitation of patients with significantdevelopmental delay.
Prevention
For the prevention of cerebral palsy, constant help and cooperation with speech therapists and psychologists is required. The effect is provided by massage, consultations with orthopedists, regular exercise therapy. All this can greatly alleviate the consequences of the disease.
According to many experts, dolphin therapy gives a positive result, as well as the imposition of removable or permanent plaster splints, special boots and mittens. It is important that the child does not endure stress, regularly communicates with the widest possible range of people.
Comorbidities
A serious danger is the fact that cerebral palsy is often accompanied by other diseases, often very serious and dangerous. For example, with cerebral palsy, a pronounced astheno-neurotic syndrome is observed in young patients with insufficient oxygen supply to the brain tissue. As a rule, such a condition turns out to be provoked by a difficult course of childbirth.
This syndrome, which is also called cerebral asthenia, is considered a mental functional disorder that belongs to the group of neuroses. This condition of the patient is borderline and does not apply to a severe mental illness. With effective and timely treatment, there is hope for a favorable prognosis.
Lack of oxygen combined with cerebral palsy is only one of the causesastheno-neurotic syndrome. It is also caused by hereditary predisposition, metabolic disorders in the brain tissues, inflammatory diseases of the brain, traumatic brain injuries, chronic kidney and liver diseases, and many other factors. In this case, complex treatment is required. It includes taking certain medications, talking with a psychotherapist, regimen activities.
May accompany cerebral palsy syndrome West. This is a serious disease that endangers the life of the patient. It manifests itself in the first year of a baby's life, as a rule, in boys. 20% of patients die before the age of one year due to a congenital anomaly in the development of the brain. Of those who survive, 75% suffer from psychomotor developmental disorders. The most common cause of the development of this disease is hypoxic damage during complicated childbirth, which is accompanied by asphyxia of the newborn.
West syndrome in newborns manifests itself in psychomotor development disorders and epileptic seizures, which end in loss of consciousness. Children with this condition are slow to respond to events around them. They have difficulty in orienting themselves, establishing contact with other people. Often epilepsy in West syndrome is a companion of cerebral palsy. Therefore, it is extremely important, before starting treatment, to decide what caused the onset of this disease. After all, these can be allergic reactions to vaccination, the consequences of past infections, abnormalities in the development of the fetal brain in the first half of pregnancy inas a result of exposure to various toxins, alcohol, sedatives.
In the treatment, antiepileptic drugs are used, which in half of the cases allow you to completely get rid of seizures. Pediatric neurosurgeons also perform operations to dissect adhesions of the meninges and congenital vascular aneurysms. Good results can be achieved in the treatment of epilepsy with stem cells. In this case, the damaged area of the brain is restored with the help of basic stem cells. This is a relatively new, expensive, but effective method.
Another dangerous companion of cerebral palsy is convulsive syndrome. In case of its occurrence, you should immediately consult a doctor. By this term, doctors understand a complex of various symptoms that manifest themselves in the form of clonic and tonic muscle contractions that are involuntary. Often this disease leads to a temporary loss of consciousness. In addition, with a convulsive syndrome, partial and generalized convulsions appear. To determine the causes of the disease, you should seek help from a specialist. It is treated with various therapies, including the administration of anticonvulsants.
Convulsive syndrome provokes cerebral palsy, as well as a number of other diseases. These are epilepsy, spasmophilia, toxoplasmosis, meningitis. The cause of this dangerous disease is also systematic overheating, metabolic disorders, viruses entering the body, and intoxication. If treatment is not started on time, it will negatively affect the entire nervous system of the patient. Mostcommon causes of seizures are traumatic brain injury. It also becomes a consequence of tetanus and rabies.
In a neglected state, the disease provokes cerebral edema, can damage the vascular system and heart muscle, and cause respiratory arrest. If there are signs of a convulsive syndrome, it is impossible to self-medicate, but the child should be given first aid. It must be laid on a flat surface, and then gently turn its head so that during an attack it does not bite its tongue and is not injured. Do not forcibly try to stop the convulsive movements of the body and muscles. As a rule, the attack lasts no more than one and a half minutes. The main thing is to immediately call an ambulance.
Down Syndrome
Another common and dangerous disease with which some may confuse cerebral palsy is Down syndrome. In fact, these are two fundamentally different diseases. Down syndrome is a genetic pathology that makes a child disabled. In fact, this is a chromosomal pathology, which is accompanied by characteristic changes in appearance and mental development disorders. Here's how cerebral palsy differs from Down syndrome.
The essence of this violation lies in the number of chromosomes in humans. Normally, there should be 46: 23 each from the mother and father. However, in Down syndrome, one extra chromosome is passed on from one of the parents. It causes disruption in the development and growth of the child.
Differences between cerebral palsy and Down syndrome are that in the first case, the violation occurs due tooxygen starvation or birth trauma. In the second situation, this is a genetic predisposition, which there is no way to influence. Here's how cerebral palsy differs from Down syndrome.
This disease occurs with the same frequency in boys and girls. At the same time, there is a clearer relationship with the age of the mother. The older the woman, the higher the chance of a genetic disorder. This happens due to the fact that over time, the egg accumulates a greater number of genetic errors. Before the age of 35, the risk of having a child with Down syndrome is relatively low. The difference with cerebral palsy in the likelihood of the onset of the disease lies in the fact that cerebral palsy appears regardless of the age of the parents. The age of the father plays a lesser role in this.
Often put on a par with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome autism. In fact, autism is a disorder that appears due to disorders in the development of the brain. It is characterized by difficulties in communication and social interaction, repetitive activities and limited interests. The appearance of such problems is associated with genetic disorders of connections in the brain.
