Associated Conditions of Cerebral Palsy: Epilepsy
Epilepsy
Electrical signals from the brain are carried by the nerves to other parts of the body.  In individuals without epilepsy or seizure disorders, electrical activity proceeds in an orderly manner.  A seizure occurs when a burst of disorganized electrical activity interferes with normal brain functioning.  Different forms of seizure will take place, depending upon the origin within the brain of the disorganized signal.  The incidence of seizure disorder is greater in individuals with cerebral palsy than in those without neurological damage (30 percent to 50 percent compared to 5 percent).  When a child has both epilepsy and cerebral palsy, damage to the brain has caused both disorders.

Certain areas of the brain are more likely than others to be the source of a seizure. These include the motor cortex (responsible for the initiation of body movement) and the temporal lobes (including a special deep area called the hippocampus, which is involved in memory).  Currently, the form of cerebral palsy that occurs most frequently is spastic cerebral palsy, which is caused by damage to the motor cortex.  Consequently, there is a higher frequency of seizures and epilepsy in individuals with this form of cerebral palsy.  The incidence increases in proportion to the severity of the damage.  Children with spastic quadriplegia or hemiplegia are far more likely to have seizure disorder than one with diplegia.  Still, the diplegic child has a higher frequency than the general population.

Seizures can cause involuntary changes in body movement or function, sensation, awareness, or behavior.  A seizure can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. There are more than 20 different types of seizures.

Seizure is often associated with a sudden and involuntary contraction of a group of muscles.  However, a seizure can also be as subtle as numbness of a part of the body, a brief loss of memory, fear, and the false detection of flashes or a bad odor.

  • Petit mal seizures are very subtle and are sometimes not detected.  Children will often look as though they are staring absentmindedly, when in fact they are experiencing a very brief loss of consciousness.  They do not lose muscle tone or fall down, but they will not remember anything that occurs during that period.
  • Psychomotor seizures are the result of unusual electrical activity in the temporal lobe portion of the brain.  This form of seizure involves involuntary repetitive behavior, such as chewing of lips or hand rubbing.  The child may also have unusual sensory experiences (unusual sights, sounds, or odors) or become fearful or angry during the episode.  Confusion usually follows a psychomotor seizure.
  • Focal seizures result from electrical impulses from one part of the brain and are usually a motor or sensory seizure that is restricted to one side of the body.  The individual remains conscious unless the seizure becomes more generalized.
  • Partial complex seizures are characterized by brief loss of consciousness, behavioral or emotional symptoms, and loss of memory.  Temporal lobe and frontal lobe seizures are often in this category.
  • Grand mal seizures, also known as generalized tonic-clonic seizures, are characterized by motor seizure involving the entire body.  Unfortunately, the most common type of seizure experienced by those with cerebral palsy is the tonic-clonic seizure.  In a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, the person will usually make a short cry and fall to the floor.  Their muscles will stiffen (tonic phase), and then their limbs will jerk and twitch (clonic phase).  Bladder control may be lost. Consciousness is regained slowly.  After a seizure, the person may feel fatigue, confusion, and disorientation.  These feelings may last from five minutes to several hours or even days.  Although it's rare, the confusion may last up to two weeks. After the seizure, the person may fall asleep or gradually become less confused until full consciousness is regained.

One of the complicating risks of epilepsy is that further damage can happen in the brain during severe seizures.  The individual can also be hurt while falling or during spastic episodes.

Some individuals will outgrow their seizures in their teens or early twenties.  Others will not.

There are drugs that reduce the number of seizures and that help gain more control over seizures.  A medical professional should be consulted about the best course of treatment.

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Associated Conditions of Cerebral Palsy: Hearing, Depression, Breathing Problems,
Drooling, ADHD, ADD, Bowel issues, Swallowing, Epilepsy, Speech Problems.