[Cerebral palsy]

Great advances have been made in the causes, lesions and symptoms of cerebral palsy over the years. Children with athetosis have lesions of the ventral lateral nuclei of the thalamus and putamen. Cocontraction and overflow are considered essential problems in athetosis. Some patients with a lesion of the ventral lateral nucleus of the thalamus do not show any involuntary movements. Children with periventricular leukomalacia demonstrate various patterns of the hip, knee and ankle in response to bearing body weight. Some of these patients exhibit ataxia, tremor and mouth opening triggered by voluntary movements. They have various central visual disorders or visual cognitive disorders. They also exhibit paroxysmal ocular downward deviation. In early infancy with spastic diplegia, there is no isolated extension of the knee or leg elevation. Hemiplegia results from stroke of the middle cerebral artery or venous infarction during the fetal or neonatal period. Border-zone infarction results from partial asphyxia.