Cerebral Palsy researchers recommends brain MRI scan for all children

A study which appears in The Journal of the American Medical Association, recommends that all children with cerebral palsy obtain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) brain scans. The scans will help predict the effects children with cerebral palsy will have from the disability.

There are four main types of cerebral palsy (spastic, athetoid, ataxic and mixed) each of which cause different disabilities for the child. (Visit the Cerebral Palsy Resources area of our website for further information about the disability).

Although the condition is not curable, cerebal palsy treatment options are availabnle to minimize the impact of the disability and to allow the child to improve their functional ability. Researchers found that MRI brain scans showed that the abnormal areas on children’s brains were not all alike, and that some patterns found line up with certain cerebral palsy symptoms.

The researchers noted “This may be usefl in helping parents, clinicians and others involed in the care fo children with CP to understand the nature of the child’s condition and to predict their needs in the future.”

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The Saiontz & Kirk cerebral palsy lawyers represent children with CP to secure financial compensation if their birth injury was caused by a medical mistake. If your child or a family member has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe that a medical error at birth may have caused the brain damage, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.