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Parálisis cerebral - Overview

Nombres alternativos

Parálisis espástica; Parálisis de tipo espástico; Hemiplejía espástica; Diplejía espástica; Cuadriplejía espástica

Definición:

Es un grupo de trastornos que pueden comprometer las funciones del cerebro y del sistema nervioso como el movimiento, el aprendizaje, la audición, la visión y el pensamiento.

Hay algunos tipos diferentes de parálisis cerebral, entre ellas: espástica, discinética, atáxica, hipotónica y mixta.

Causas:

La parálisis cerebral es causada por lesiones o anomalías del cerebro. La mayoría de estos problemas ocurre a medida que el bebé crece en el útero, pero se pueden presentar en cualquier momento durante los primeros dos años de vida, mientras el cerebro del bebé aún se está desarrollando.

En algunas personas con parálisis cerebral, partes del cerebro se lesionan debido a los bajos niveles de oxígeno ( hipoxia) en el área, pero no se sabe por qué ocurre esto.

Los bebés prematuros tienen un riesgo ligeramente más alto de desarrollar parálisis cerebral, la cual puede ocurrir también a comienzos de la lactancia como resultado de diversas afecciones como:

En algunos casos, la causa de la parálisis cerebral nunca se determina.

  • Reviewed last on: 9/16/2009
  • Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Referencias

Johnston MV. Encephalopathies. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011: chap 591

Ashwal S. et al. Practice parameter: diagnostic assessment of the child with cerebral palsy: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society. Neurology. 2004;62:851-863.

Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society, Delgado MR, Hirtz D, Aisen M, et al. Practice parameter: pharmacologic treatment of spasticity in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society. Neurology. 2010 Jan 26;74(4):336-43.

Sakzewski L, Ziviani J, Boyd R. Systematic review and meta-analysis of therapeutic management of upper-limb dysfunction in children with congenital hemiplegia. Pediatrics. 2009;123:e1111-1122.

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