How useful is the diagnosis of ataxic cerebral palsy?

Prevalence, Clinical Features, Neuroimaging, and Genetic Findings in Children With Ataxic Cerebral Palsy in Europe

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To report on prevalence, associated impairments, severity, and neuroimaging findings in children with ataxic cerebral palsy (CP).

METHODS

In children coded as having ataxic CP in the Central database of Joint Research Center-Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (JRC-SCPE) and born during 1980-2010, birth characteristics, severity profiles including associated impairments, neuroimaging patterns, and the presence of syndromes were analyzed. Definitions were according to validated SCPE guidelines. Prevalence over time was estimated using Poisson regression.

RESULTS

In total, 679 children with ataxic CP were identified in 20 European CP registers. The proportion with ataxic CP was 3.8% and varied from 0% to 12.9%. Prevalence over time showed no significant trend. Approximately 70% of children with ataxic CP were able to walk, and 40% had severe intellectual impairment and a high impairment index. Children with ataxic CP were mostly born at term (79%) and with normal birth weight (77%). Neuroimaging patterns revealed normal findings in 29%, brain maldevelopments in 28.5%, miscellaneous findings in 23.5%, and brain injuries in 19%, according to the SCPE classification. Genetic syndromes were described in 9%.

DISCUSSION

This register-based multicenter study on children with ataxic CP provides a large sample size for the analysis of prevalence, severity, and origin of this rare CP subtype. Even with strict inclusion and classification criteria, there is variation between registers on how to deal with this subtype, and diagnosis of ataxic CP remains a challenge. Ataxic cerebral palsy differs from other CP subtypes: children with ataxic CP have a disability profile that is more pronounced in terms of cognitive than gross motor dysfunction. They are mostly term born and the origin rarely suggests acquired injuries. In addition to neuroimaging, a comprehensive genetic workup is particularly recommended for children with this CP type.

Spasticity and movement disorders in cerebral palsy

PURPOSE

To review the neurosurgical treatments of children with movement disorders associated with cerebral palsy (CP) during the previous decades, up to the present day.

METHODS

An extensive literature review was undertaken to identify important publications about this subject. My experience treating children with these disorders over the past three decades was included in the individual sections.

RESULTS

Peripheral neurotomies have been developed for children with focal spasticity. For those with spastic paraparesis, selective lumbar rhizotomies were developed, and for those with spastic quadriparesis, intrathecal baclofen infusions were developed. Both effectively alleviate spasticity in the affected extremities. Generalized dystonia associated with CP has been treated with deep brain stimulation with mild improvement, but treatment with intrathecal baclofen and intraventricular baclofen improve those movements markedly. No effective treatment has been reported for children with athetoid CP. For those with choreiform CP, deep brain stimulation may be effective but intrathecal baclofen does not appear to be.

CONCLUSION

Treatment of children with movement disorders associated with CP increased slowly in the 1970s and 1980s but accelerated rapidly in the 1990s with the introduction of lumbar dorsal rhizotomies and intrathecal baclofen. In the last 30 years, tens of thousands of children with spasticity and movement disorders associated with CP have been treated by pediatric neurosurgeons, and their care has become an integral component of current pediatric neurosurgical practice.

Molecular Evaluation of Joubert Syndrome and Hearing Impairment in a Patient with Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Joubert syndrome (JBTS) is a rare autosomal recessive or X-linked congenital brain malformation with strong genetic heterogeneity. Other neurological features of JBTS include hypotonia, ataxia, developmental delay, and cognitive impairment. Hearing loss with JBTS has been reported in the literature. We present the case of a 3.5-year-old boy born to a healthy consanguineous South Indian couple who was presented with ataxic cerebral palsy (CP) and hearing impairment; medical reports confirmed typical brain malformations of JBTS. Hearing impairment was screened by audiological assessment, which confirmed the presence of severe-profound hearing loss with outer hair cell dysfunction. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to know the molecular aspects of the condition and to detect any novel mutations. The homozygous mutation AHI1 c.2023G > A associated with JBTS type 3 and GJB2 c.71G > A mutation associated with hearing impairment were identified. Sanger sequencing was performed to validate the result and it identified heterozygous AHI1 c.2023G > A and GJB2 c.71G > A in the patient's parents. This study confirms the diagnosis of JBTS by WES helps identify the genetic causes of hereditary disorders that accelerate genetic evaluation and counseling for at-risk families.

Prevalence of cerebral palsy and factors associated with cerebral palsy subtype: A population-based study in Belgium

AIM

To report on the prevalence, neuroimaging patterns, and function of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Belgium for birth years 2007-2012, and identify distinctive risk indicators and differences in outcome between CP subtypes.

METHODS

Antenatal and perinatal/neonatal factors, motor and speech function, associated impairments, and neuroimaging patterns were extracted from the Belgian Cerebral Palsy Register. Prevalence was estimated per 1000 (overall, ante/perinatal, spastic, dyskinetic CP) or 10,000 (post-neonatal, ataxic CP) live births. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to ascertain the effects of antenatal/perinatal/neonatal factors and neuroimaging patterns on the likelihood of dyskinetic or ataxic CP relative to spastic CP, and test the likelihood of the occurrence of impaired motor and speech function and associated impairments in dyskinetic or ataxic CP relative to spastic CP.

RESULTS

In total, 1127 children with CP were identified in Belgium. The birth prevalence of overall CP was 1.48 per 1000 live births. The likelihood of dyskinetic CP increases if the child was born to a mother aged ≥35 years, mechanically ventilated, and had predominant grey matter injury, while an increased likelihood of ataxic CP is associated with ≥2 previous deliveries. Children with dyskinetic and ataxic CP are more likely to function with impairments in motor, speech, and intellectual abilities.

CONCLUSION

Distinctive risk indicators and differences in outcome between CP subtypes were identified. These factors can be incorporated into clinical practice to facilitate early, accurate, and reliable classification of CP subtype, and may lead to individually tailored neonatal care and other (early) intervention options.

Towards functional improvement of motor disorders associated with cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition arising from non-progressive disorders occurring in the fetal or infant brain. Cerebral palsy has long been categorised into discrete motor types based on the predominance of spasticity, dyskinesia, or ataxia. However, these motor disorders, muscle weakness, hypotonia, and impaired selective movements should also be discriminated across the range of presentations and along the lifespan. Although cerebral palsy is permanent, function changes across the lifespan, indicating the importance of interventions to improve outcomes in motor disorders associated with the condition. Mounting evidence exists for the inclusion of several interventions, including active surveillance, adapted physical activity, and nutrition, to prevent secondary and tertiary complications. Avenues for future research include the development of evidence-based recommendations, low-cost and high-quality alternatives to existing therapies to ensure universal access, standardised cerebral palsy registers to harmonise epidemiological and clinical information, improved adult screening and check-up programmes to facilitate positive lived experiences, and phase 3 trials for new interventions.

Causes, functional outcomes and healthcare utilisation of people with cerebral palsy in Singapore

Introduction: A voluntary cerebral palsy (CP) registry was established in 2017 to describe the clinical characteristics and functional outcomes of CP in Singapore. Methods: People with CP born after 1994 were recruited through KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, National University Hospital and Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore. Patient-reported basic demographics, service utilisation and quality of life measures were collected with standardised questionnaires. Clinical information was obtained through hospital medical records. Results: Between 1 September 2017 and 31 March 2020, 151 participants were recruited. A majority (n=135, 89%) acquired CP in the pre/perinatal period, where prematurity (n=102, 76%) and the need for emergency caesarean section (n=68, 50%) were leading risk factors. Sixteen (11%) of the total participants had post-neonatally acquired CP. For predominant CP motor types, 109 (72%) had a spastic motor type; 32% with spastic mono/hemiplegia, 41% diplegia, 6% triplegia and 21% quadriplegia. The remaining (42, 27.8%) had dyskinetic CP. Sixty-eight (45.0%) participants suffered significant functional impairment (Gross Motor Functional Classification System levels IV–V). Most participants (n=102, 67.5%) required frequent medical follow-up (≥4 times a year). Conclusion: Optimisation of pre- and perinatal care to prevent and manage prematurity could reduce the burden of CP and their overall healthcare utilisation. Keywords: Cerebral palsy, functional outcomes, neonatal, registry