Surveillance of cerebral palsy in Europe: a collaboration of cerebral palsy surveys and registers

Abstract

Although cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of motor deficiency in young children, it occurs in only 2 to 3 per 1000 live births. In order to monitor prevalence rates, especially within subgroups (birthweight, clinical type), it is necessary to study large populations. A network of CP surveys and registers was formed in 14 centres in eight countries across Europe. Differences in prevalence rates of CP in the centres prior to any work on harmonization of data are reported. The subsequent process to standardize the definition of CP, inclusion/exclusion criteria, classification, and description of children with CP is outlined. The consensus that was reached on these issues will make it possible to monitor trends in CP rate, to provide a framework for collaborative research, and a basis for services planning among European countries.

Unilateral varus osteotomy of the proximal femur in children with cerebral palsy: A five-year follow-up of the development of both hips

“…The diagnosis is made by the child's neuropaediatrician. The CP subtype is classified according to the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe network (SCPE) [12]. The gross motor function is classified according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) [13].…”

Efectos de las terapias ecuestres en personas con parálisis cerebral

“…La parálisis cerebral es la patología más frecuente de discapacidad física en la edad pediátrica (Kuban y Leviton, 1994;López Ros et al, 2003) y el principal motivo de discapacidad física grave (Hutton y Pharoah, 2006), con una prevalencia de 2 a 2,5 casos por 1.000 nacimientos (Cans, 2000), con ligero predominio del sexo masculino, y una mayor incidencia en América respecto a Europa.…”

Proposed definition and classification of cerebral palsy, April 2005

“…12 It is clearly important to distinguish unilateral from bilateral motor involvement, and categorization based on this distinction has good reliability. 7 However, even this distinction can be blurred because many children with primarily unilateral CP may also have some degree of motor involvement on the opposite side and some children with primarily bilateral involvement may have appreciable asymmetry across sides. Although the terms 'diplegia' and 'quadriplegia' have been extensively used in research and clinical practice, we propose that these terms not be used in classification.…”

“…Individuals with CP have traditionally been grouped by the predominant type of motor disorder, with a 'mixed' category available in those cases when no one type dominates. This strategy has been adopted by the classification system described in the Reference and Training Manual of the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE), 7 which divides CP into three groupings based on the predominant neuromotor abnormality: spastic, dyskinetic, or ataxic, with dyskinesia further differentiated into dystonia and choreoathetosis. However, an argument can be made that many children have mixed presentations, and that identifying the presence of each of the tone and or movement abnormalities may be of greater clinical and etiological utility, as recommended by the 2001 NINDS workshop on childhood hypertonia.…”

“…It is hoped that this document will spur discussion, and lead eventually to the goal, first envisioned by Bax 40 years ago, of international consensus and adoption of a common set of ideas about this condition. 7 that are attributed to 8 non-progressive disturbances 9 that occurred in the developing fetal or infant 10 brain. 11 The motor disorders of cerebral palsy are often accompanied by 12 disturbances of sensation, 13 cognition, 14 communication, 15 perception 16 and/or behaviour, 17 and/or by a seizure disorder.…”