Cerebral Palsy

1995 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 411-418
Author(s):  
Lawrence T. Taft

To be classified as cerebral palsy (CP), there must be difficulty in neuromotor control, a nonprogressive brain lesion, and an injury to the brain that occurred before it was fully mature. The term "cerebral palsy" should be used only if a static encephalopathy exists. If there is any question that a progressive central nervous system disorder exists, the term "cerebral palsy" should not be used diagnostically until the status of the lesion is clarified. Although the primary abnormality must be a motor deficit, often there are many associated symptoms of cerebral dysfunction present. Incidence and Prevalence The prevalence of CP has changed very little over the past 40 years, in spite of many technological advances that have decreased mortality in compromised preterm and full-term infants. The prevalence rate has been estimated to be between 2 and 5 per 1000 live births. At 12 months of age, the prevalence rate was estimated to be 5.2 per 1000, but at 7 years of age, the rate was estimated to be 2 per 1000 live births. This indicates that many children who showed signs or experienced symptoms suggesting a motor disorder did not have CP on follow-up. The past 3 decades have seen an increased survival rate of very small preterm infants, resulting in a change in the percentage rates of the different clinical types of motor disabilities among patients classified as having CP.

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leisha Eiten ◽  
Dawna Lewis

Background: For children with hearing loss, the benefits of FM systems in overcoming deleterious effects of noise, distance, and reverberation have led to recommendations for use beyond classroom settings. It is important that audiologists who recommend and fit these devices understand the rationale and procedures underlying fitting and verification. Objectives: This article reviews previousguidelines for FM verification, addresses technological advances, and introduces verification procedures appropriate for current FM and hearing-aid technology. Methods: Previous guidelines for verification of FM systems are reviewed. Those recommendations that are appropriate for current technology are addressed, as are procedures that are no longer adequate for hearing aids and FM systems utilizing more complex processing than in the past. Technological advances are discussed, and an updated approach to FM verification is proposed. Conclusions: Approaches to verification andfitting of FM systems must keep pace with advances in hearing-aid and FM technology. The transparency approach addressed in this paper is recommended for verification of FM systems coupled to hearing aids.


TAPPI Journal ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60
Author(s):  
HONGHI TRAN ◽  
DANNY TANDRA

Sootblowing technology used in recovery boilers originated from that used in coal-fired boilers. It started with manual cleaning with hand lancing and hand blowing, and evolved slowly into online sootblowing using retractable sootblowers. Since 1991, intensive research and development has focused on sootblowing jet fundamentals and deposit removal in recovery boilers. The results have provided much insight into sootblower jet hydrodynamics, how a sootblower jet interacts with tubes and deposits, and factors influencing its deposit removal efficiency, and have led to two important innovations: fully-expanded sootblower nozzles that are used in virtually all recovery boilers today, and the low pressure sootblowing technology that has been implemented in several new recovery boilers. The availability of powerful computing systems, superfast microprocessors and data acquisition systems, and versatile computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling capability in the past two decades has also contributed greatly to the advancement of sootblowing technology. High quality infrared inspection cameras have enabled mills to inspect the deposit buildup conditions in the boiler during operation, and helped identify problems with sootblower lance swinging and superheater platens and boiler bank tube vibrations. As the recovery boiler firing capacity and steam parameters have increased markedly in recent years, sootblowers have become larger and longer, and this can present a challenge in terms of both sootblower design and operation.


Author(s):  
Matthew Bagot

One of the central questions in international relations today is how we should conceive of state sovereignty. The notion of sovereignty—’supreme authority within a territory’, as Daniel Philpott defines it—emerged after the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 as a result of which the late medieval crisis of pluralism was settled. But recent changes in the international order, such as technological advances that have spurred globalization and the emerging norm of the Responsibility to Protect, have cast the notion of sovereignty into an unclear light. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the current debate regarding sovereignty by exploring two schools of thought on the matter: first, three Catholic scholars from the past century—Luigi Sturzo, Jacques Maritain, and John Courtney Murray, S.J.—taken as representative of Catholic tradition; second, a number of contemporary political theorists of cosmopolitan democracy. The paper argues that there is a confluence between the Catholic thinkers and the cosmopolitan democrats regarding their understanding of state sovereignty and that, taken together, the two schools have much to contribute not only to our current understanding of sovereignty, but also to the future of global governance.


Shore & Beach ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 65-73
Author(s):  
Gen Liu ◽  
Feng Cai ◽  
Hongshuai Qi ◽  
Jianhui Liu ◽  
Gang Lei ◽  
...  

Beach nourishment has been widely used for beach protection around the world. However, there is limited information about beach nourishment in China. This study offers an overview of beach nourishment practices, status and technological advances in China, based on the literature, reports, and personal communications. The results demonstrate that beach nourishment has been recognized as an effective and environmentally friendly measure to combat coastal erosion and has been increasingly adopted in China, especially in the past decade. The unique characteristics of coastal China resulted in a difference in beach nourishment between China and Western developed countries in terms of the types, objectives, and shapes of beach nourishment. For the types of nourishments in China, there were approximately the same number of restored beaches and newly constructed beaches. For fill sediment, homogeneous fill and heterogeneous fill comprised 51.1% and 48.9% of projects, respectively. The objective of beach nourishment was mainly to promote coastal tourism, and the shape of nourished beaches was dominated by headland bays. This study also indicated that China has achieved a number of technological advances in beach nourishment, including methods of beach nourishment on severely eroded coasts and muddy coasts, an optimized design of drain pipes involved in urban beaches, and ecological design considerations. From the past decade of practices, four aspects were proposed as considerations for future nourishment: sand sources, technique advances, ecological effects, and management of beach nourishments.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 230949902110011
Author(s):  
Kyoko Okuno ◽  
Yukihiro Kitai ◽  
Toru Shibata ◽  
Hiroshi Arai

Purpose: To investigate the risk factors for hip displacement in patients with dyskinetic cerebral palsy (DCP). Methods: We evaluated 81 patients with DCP, 45 males and 36 females, aged 10–22 years, risk factors for hip displacement were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis with primary brain lesions, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level, gestational age, birth weight, Cobb’s angle, and complication of epilepsy as independent factors. Hip displacement was defined as migration percentage >30%. Primary brain lesions were classified into globus pallidus (GP), thalamus and putamen (TP), and others using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Perinatal and clinical features were compared between patients with GP lesions and those with TP lesions. Results: Hip displacement was observed in 53 patients (67%). Higher GMFCS levels (p = 0.013, odds ratio [OR] 2.6) and the presence of GP lesions (p = 0.04, OR 16.5) were independent risk factors for hip displacement. Patients with GP lesions showed significantly higher GMFCS levels, more frequent hip displacement, and lower gestational age and birth weight than those with TP lesions. Conclusion: Primary brain lesion location may be an important factor in predicting hip displacement among patients with DCP. Appropriate risk assessment using brain MRI may contribute to the early detection and intervention of hip displacement because brain lesion location can be assessed during infancy before GMFCS level is decided.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e047634
Author(s):  
Gillian Saloojee ◽  
Francis Ekwan ◽  
Carin Andrews ◽  
Diane L Damiano ◽  
Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige ◽  
...  

IntroductionCerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood-onset motor disorder accompanied by associated impairments, placing a heavy burden on families and health systems. Most children with CP live in low/middle-income countries with little access to rehabilitation services. This study will evaluate the Akwenda CP programme, a multidimensional intervention designed for low-resource settings and aiming at improving: (1) participation, motor function and daily activities for children with CP; (2) quality of life, stress and knowledge for caregivers; and (3) knowledge and attitudes towards children with CP in the communities.MethodsThis quasi-randomised controlled clinical study will recruit children and youth with CP aged 2–23 years in a rural area of Uganda. Children will be allocated to one of two groups with at least 44 children in each group. Groups will be matched for age, sex and motor impairment. The intervention arm will receive a comprehensive, multidimensional programme over a period of 11 months comprising (1) caregiver-led training workshops, (2) therapist-led practical group sessions, (3) provision of technical assistive devices, (4) goal-directed training and (5) community communication and advocacy. The other group will receive usual care. The outcome of the intervention will be assessed before and after the intervention and will be measured at three levels: (1) child, (2) caregiver and (3) community. Standard analysis methods for randomised controlled trial will be used to compare groups. Retention of effects will be examined at 12-month follow-up.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (SS 5173) and registered in accordance with WHO and ICMJE standards. Written informed consent will be obtained from caregivers. Results will be disseminated among participants and stakeholders through public engagement events, scientific reports and conference presentations.Trial registration numberPan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR202011738099314) Pre-results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yalan Xu ◽  
Xiuyue Song ◽  
Dong Wang ◽  
Yin Wang ◽  
Peifeng Li ◽  
...  

AbstractChemical synapses in the brain connect neurons to form neural circuits, providing the structural and functional bases for neural communication. Disrupted synaptic signaling is closely related to a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In the past two decades, proteomics has blossomed as a versatile tool in biological and biomedical research, rendering a wealth of information toward decoding the molecular machinery of life. There is enormous interest in employing proteomic approaches for the study of synapses, and substantial progress has been made. Here, we review the findings of proteomic studies of chemical synapses in the brain, with special attention paid to the key players in synaptic signaling, i.e., the synaptic protein complexes and their post-translational modifications. Looking toward the future, we discuss the technological advances in proteomics such as data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS), cross-linking in combination with mass spectrometry (CXMS), and proximity proteomics, along with their potential to untangle the mystery of how the brain functions at the molecular level. Last but not least, we introduce the newly developed synaptomic methods. These methods and their successful applications marked the beginnings of the synaptomics era.


2000 ◽  
Vol 124 (12) ◽  
pp. 1785-1791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond W. Redline ◽  
Mary Ann O'Riordan

Abstract Objective.—The aim of this study was to determine the association of placental findings with cerebral palsy and related forms of neurologic impairment (NI) following birth at ≥37 weeks gestation (term). Design.—In a retrospective comparison, placentas from 40 term infants with NI ascertained on the basis of clinicopathologic review for medicolegal consultation were compared with placentas from 176 consecutive meconium-stained term infants at low risk for NI. Results.—After stratification for severity, 9 lesions were significantly increased in placentas from infants with NI: 5 lesions generally considered to occur within days of the time of labor and delivery (meconium-associated vascular necrosis, severe fetal chorioamnionitis, chorionic vessel thrombi, increased nucleated red blood cells, and findings consistent with abruptio placenta) and 4 lesions generally believed to have their onset long before labor and delivery (diffuse chronic villitis, extensive avascular villi, diffuse chorioamnionic hemosiderosis, and perivillous fibrin). Findings independently associated with NI by logistic regression in this descriptive study were severe fetal chorioamnionitis (odds ratio [OR], 13.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–144); extensive avascular villi (OR, 9.0; 95% CI, 1.6–51); and diffuse chorioamnionic hemosiderosis (OR, 74.8; 95% CI, 6.3–894). The risk of NI increased as a function of the number of lesions present (OR, 10.1; 95% CI, 5.1–20 for each additional lesion), particularly when lesions generally considered to occur near the time of labor and those believed to occur well before labor were found in the same placenta (OR, 94.2; 95% CI, 11.9–747). Conclusions.—These findings suggest that placental pathology can contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to NI at term.


Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 475
Author(s):  
Domenico M. Romeo ◽  
Martina Ricci ◽  
Maria Picilli ◽  
Benedetta Foti ◽  
Giorgia Cordaro ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Late preterm (LP) infants (born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestational age) are considered at higher risk of neonatal morbidities, mortality, and neurological impairments than full-term born infants (FT). The aim of this study was to provide a critical review of the literature outlining the different aspects of neurological function reported both in the neonatal period and in the follow up of late preterm infants. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL electronic databases was made, using the following search terms: ‘Late preterm infants’, ‘Near term infants’, ‘neurological assessment’, ‘neurological outcome’, ‘neuromotor outcome’, cerebral palsy’, ‘CP’, ‘motor impairment’, including all the studies reporting clinical neurological assessment of LP (including both neonatal period and subsequent ages). Results: A total of 35 articles, comprising 301,495 children, were included as fulfilling the inclusion criteria: ten reported neonatal neurological findings, seven reported data about the first two years after birth, eighteen reported data about incidence of CP and motor disorder during the infancy. Results showed a more immature neurological profile, explored with structured neurological assessments, in LP infants compared with FT infants. The LP population also had a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy, motor delay, and coordination disorder. Conclusion: LP had a higher risk of neurological impairments than FT infants, due to a brain immaturity and an increased vulnerability to injury, as the last weeks of gestational age are crucial for the development of the brain.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document