Pervasive developmental disorders in individuals with cerebral palsy

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Pediatric neurology
• Developmental pediatrics

Background:

• Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex motor disorder with diverse etiologies.
• Co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions are common in children with CP.
• Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) encompass conditions like autistic disorder and PDD-NOS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of PDD in a clinical sample of children and adolescents with CP.
• To identify factors associated with PDD in this population.

Main Methods:

• A two-stage diagnostic process was employed.
• Stage one involved observation, Autism Behavior Checklist, and medical reports.
• Stage two included psychiatric examination and Childhood Autism Rating Scale for probable cases, diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria.

Main Results:

• 11% met criteria for autistic disorder, and 4% for PDD-NOS.
• Children with CP and PDD showed significant differences in CP type, epilepsy, intellectual level, and speech level.
• PDD was more prevalent in tetraplegic, mixed, and hemiplegic CP, and in those with epilepsy, learning disability, and low speech.

Conclusions:

• PDD is a significant comorbidity in children with CP.
• Consideration of PDD is crucial in CP patients with epilepsy, intellectual disability, and speech impairments.
• Specific CP types (tetraplegic, mixed, hemiplegic) are associated with higher PDD prevalence.