Re: Cerebral Palsy

Posted By CCF neuro MD MM on December 06, 1998 at 12:00:40:

In Reply to: Cerebral Palsy posted by Marialid on December 06, 1998 at 11:54:05:






I am studying Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus.  Right now I am taking a class about Neurology and we are talking about cerebral palsy.  
I have a question: What is more difficult for people with cerebral palsy,  to control their movements (such as hands, head, articulators)or to take air in order to speak and sustain a conversation?  Thank you.



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The answer is quite simple on one level, people who have cerebral palsy have significant damage to neuronal tissue, usually in the cerebral cortex but any part of the brain may be involved. Since all of the functions you mention are highly complex integrated neurological functions which require precise recruitment and co-ordinated function of millions of neurons, diffuse damage to the brain causes dysfuntion of this system making it impossible to execute motor functions in a smooth integrated  manner.