Paraplegia & Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder which is caused by brain trauma which results in malformation of the developing brain. This neurological condition often causes problems related to movement and muscle tone, and some children who develop CP may experience what is called paraparesis, or even paraplegia.
- Paraplegia is defined at the complete impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities.
- Paraparesis, on the other hand, is used to describe a partial loss of voluntary motor function of the lower extremities.
Paraplegic cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a certain type of movement disorder which affects the lower extremities. This means that the child may be unable to use their legs effectively, requiring the use of a wheelchair.
Prognosis & Treatment
Paraplegic cerebral palsy is often the result of an interruption of messages sent from the brain to the lower areas of the body due to a brain injury. The upper body may not be as affected, and paraplegia (or paraperesis) is often confused with diplegia, hemiplegia, or even triplegia.
Children born with paraplegic cerebral palsy are usually of normal intelligence. However, a some children suffer from crossed eyes, caused by weakness in the muscles that control eye movement. This may make them appear of lower intelligence to the uninformed, but there may be treatments available.
Some of the treatment options which may improve quality of life for people with paraplegic CP include: