engleski

Characteristics of children with cerebral palsy and brain maldevelopments in Register of cerebral palsy of Croatia

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and brain maldevelopments. Methods: This study was based on the data of children with a diagnosis of CP, from the SCPE National Register C28 - Register of cerebral palsy of Croatia, born from 01/01/2007 to 31/12/2008. Results: In this period 153 children, who were later diagnosed with CP, were born in the area of register. Out of them, 106 (69.28%) had available brain MRI findings. They were divided, as proposed by SCPE, into 5 categories: brain maldevelopments (17/106 ; 16.04%), predominant white matter injury (56/106 ; 52.83%), predominant gray matter injury (16/106 ; 15.09%), miscellaneous changes (13/106 ; 12.26%) and normal findings (4/106 ; 3.77%). In the group of children with brain maldevelopments, 5 children had lissencephaly/pachygyria, 4 polymicrogyria, 1 hemimegalencephaly, 1 schizencephaly, 3 dysgenesis of the corpus callosum, 1 focal cortical dysplasia, 1 subependymal heterotopia and 1 complex malformation. Out of this 17 children, 15 had spastic CP (2 unilateral and 13 bilateral) and 2 dyskinetic CP (both dystonic subtype). According to Gross Motor Function Classification System, 2 children had level I, 5 level II, 2 level III, 2 level IV and 6 level V. Intellectual impairment was classified into three categories: 12 children had IQ <50, 3 IQ 50-70 and only 2 IQ≥70. Speech difficulties were classified using the VIKING speech scale: level I, II and III had 2 children in each category and level IV 10 children (for 1 child VIKING level was unknown). Epilepsy was found in 11/17 of children and at the time of registration all of them had active epilepsy. Visual impairment was present in 9/17 children and 3 of them had severe visual impairment. Hearing impairment was present in 1 child and it was classified as severe. Conclusion: Children with CP and brain maldevelopments have multiple severe accompanying impairments.

cerebral palsy, brain maldevelopments, Register of cerebral palsy of Croatia

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