Cerebral palsy other diagnostic studies

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Iqra Qamar M.D.[2]

Overview

Other diagnostic studies for cerebral palsy may include electroencephalography, EMG and nerve conduction studies, placental examination, and screening for associated conditions such as intellectual disability, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech and language impairment.

Electroencephalography
- Indicated if seizures are suspected along with cerebral palsy
- Helps in evaluation of severe hypoxic-ischemic injury
- Findings may include initial marked depression of voltage amplitude followed by a discontinuous pattern
EMG and Nerve Conduction Studies
- To exclude a muscle or nerve disorder
- To evaluate auditory and visual pathways , evoke potentials are used.
Placental examination^[1]
Screening for associated conditions^[2]^[3]^[4]
- Intellectual disability
- Visual impairment
- Hearing impairment
- Speech and language impairment
- Growth and nutrition monitoring

↑ Altshuler G (1993). “Some placental considerations related to neurodevelopmental and other disorders”. J. Child Neurol. 8 (1): 78–94. doi:10.1177/088307389300800111. PMID 8445176.
↑ Strand KM, Dahlseng MO, Lydersen S, Rø TB, Finbråten AK, Jahnsen RB, Andersen GL, Vik T (2016). “Growth during infancy and early childhood in children with cerebral palsy: a population-based study”. Dev Med Child Neurol. 58 (9): 924–30. doi:10.1111/dmcn.13098. PMID 26992128.
↑ Stanek JL, Emerson JA, Murdock FA, Petroski GF (2016). “Growth characteristics in cerebral palsy subtypes: a comparative assessment”. Dev Med Child Neurol. 58 (9): 931–5. doi:10.1111/dmcn.13116. PMID 27059686.
↑ Brooks J, Day S, Shavelle R, Strauss D (2011). “Low weight, morbidity, and mortality in children with cerebral palsy: new clinical growth charts”. Pediatrics. 128 (2): e299–307. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2801. PMID 21768315.