Cerebral Palsy (CP) continues to receive a lot of attention from researchers and clinicians for several reasons. Firstly, it remains the most common motor disability of childhood despite great progress in prenatal, perinatal and neonatal care in the last 50 years. New data from various disciplines has contributed to deepening the understanding of the etiopathogenesis of CP, and this has created hopes for prevention and treatment. Despite great improvements in the care of patients with CP, many pending issues remain in the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder, as well as of the multiple associated problems including epilepsy and intellectual disability. In fact, these problems may be so severe in some children, that they end up being major determinants of their prognosis.
CP refers to a group of disorders that are often heterogeneous in presentation, etiology and pathogenesis. Epidemiology has contributed greatly to the elucidation of causes and risk factors for developing CP, and continues to provide valuable data on clinical features and associated problems. Our knowledge of the etiology and pathogenesis of CP has greatly evolved, and recently genetic contributions have been under discussion. Neuroimaging has also played an important role, as it has shown that most patients with CP have either congenital or acquired brain lesions. Therapies specifically addressing the brain insults underlying this group of disorders are still limited and management is mostly symptomatic. Furthermore, current treatments are frequently considered ineffective and unable to address the individual needs of children with CP. Due to this, a heavy burden is placed on caregivers and healthcare systems. CP remains among the costliest chronic childhood conditions.
In this Research Topic we aim to present recent advances in CP epidemiology, neuroimaging, genetics, and diagnosis. We would also like to discuss current “hot”, or clinically important topics, around CP management. We welcome Original Research or Reviews around the following three areas:
Epidemiology:
• Definitions and recent data;
• CP surveillance programs: their contribution to epidemiology;
• What does a regional or national CP surveillance program offer to the local researchers, to the medical community and insurance system?
Etiology and pathogenesis:
• Definitions, etiologies and risk factors of CP;
• Recent advances in neuroimaging of CP;
• Are emerging genetic findings in CP changing our view on what constitutes CP?
Topics of importance in diagnosis and treatment:
• Patterns of clinical presentation according to gestational age and neuroimaging findings;
• Motor patterns and comorbidities in the preterm;
• Motor patterns and comorbidities in children with brain malformations;
• School placement according to CP type and neuroimaging findings in a population-based sample;
• Essentials of orthopedic surveillance in CP with an eye on prevention;
• Sleep problems in CP: do we know enough? Do we monitor adequately?
• Pain in CP;
• Novel and controversial interventions for CP;
• The young adult with CP: who is his/her most-needed physician?
• Ambulation status and activities of daily living in non-spastic CP.
Cerebral Palsy (CP) continues to receive a lot of attention from researchers and clinicians for several reasons. Firstly, it remains the most common motor disability of childhood despite great progress in prenatal, perinatal and neonatal care in the last 50 years. New data from various disciplines has contributed to deepening the understanding of the etiopathogenesis of CP, and this has created hopes for prevention and treatment. Despite great improvements in the care of patients with CP, many pending issues remain in the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder, as well as of the multiple associated problems including epilepsy and intellectual disability. In fact, these problems may be so severe in some children, that they end up being major determinants of their prognosis.
CP refers to a group of disorders that are often heterogeneous in presentation, etiology and pathogenesis. Epidemiology has contributed greatly to the elucidation of causes and risk factors for developing CP, and continues to provide valuable data on clinical features and associated problems. Our knowledge of the etiology and pathogenesis of CP has greatly evolved, and recently genetic contributions have been under discussion. Neuroimaging has also played an important role, as it has shown that most patients with CP have either congenital or acquired brain lesions. Therapies specifically addressing the brain insults underlying this group of disorders are still limited and management is mostly symptomatic. Furthermore, current treatments are frequently considered ineffective and unable to address the individual needs of children with CP. Due to this, a heavy burden is placed on caregivers and healthcare systems. CP remains among the costliest chronic childhood conditions.
In this Research Topic we aim to present recent advances in CP epidemiology, neuroimaging, genetics, and diagnosis. We would also like to discuss current “hot”, or clinically important topics, around CP management. We welcome Original Research or Reviews around the following three areas:
Epidemiology:
• Definitions and recent data;
• CP surveillance programs: their contribution to epidemiology;
• What does a regional or national CP surveillance program offer to the local researchers, to the medical community and insurance system?
Etiology and pathogenesis:
• Definitions, etiologies and risk factors of CP;
• Recent advances in neuroimaging of CP;
• Are emerging genetic findings in CP changing our view on what constitutes CP?
Topics of importance in diagnosis and treatment:
• Patterns of clinical presentation according to gestational age and neuroimaging findings;
• Motor patterns and comorbidities in the preterm;
• Motor patterns and comorbidities in children with brain malformations;
• School placement according to CP type and neuroimaging findings in a population-based sample;
• Essentials of orthopedic surveillance in CP with an eye on prevention;
• Sleep problems in CP: do we know enough? Do we monitor adequately?
• Pain in CP;
• Novel and controversial interventions for CP;
• The young adult with CP: who is his/her most-needed physician?
• Ambulation status and activities of daily living in non-spastic CP.
