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Schizencephaly as a cause of spastic cerebral palsy

W Kułak1, B Okurowska-Zawada, E Gościk

  • 1Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation, Medical University of Białystok, Bialystok, Poland. kneur2@wp.pl

Advances in Medical Sciences
|March 30, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Schizencephaly, a brain malformation, was found in 12 children with cerebral palsy (CP). This condition was more common in those with spastic hemiplegia and often accompanied by epilepsy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Developmental Neuroscience

Background:

  • Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders affecting movement and posture.
  • Congenital brain anomalies can contribute to the development of CP.
  • Schizencephaly is a rare congenital disorder characterized by abnormal openings or slits in the cerebral hemispheres.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical features of schizencephaly in children diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy.
  • To determine the prevalence and specific characteristics of schizencephaly in a cohort of children with CP.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed on 180 children with various forms of spastic cerebral palsy (tetraplegia, diplegia, hemiplegia).
  • MR scans utilized a 1.5 T scanner and a standard head coil.
  • Clinical data and imaging findings were analyzed to identify congenital brain anomalies, specifically schizencephaly.

Main Results:

  • Ninety-five percent of children with CP showed significant MRI abnormalities.
  • Schizencephaly was identified in 12 out of 180 children (6.7%) with spastic CP.
  • Bilateral schizencephaly was observed in children with spastic diplegia and tetraplegia, while unilateral schizencephaly was seen in those with spastic hemiplegia.
  • Epilepsy was a common comorbidity in patients with schizencephaly and CP.
  • Periventricular leukomalacia was more frequent in spastic diplegia, cerebral atrophy in tetraplegia, and porencephalic cysts in hemiplegia.

Conclusions:

  • Schizencephaly occurred more frequently in children with spastic hemiplegia.
  • The presence of schizencephaly in children with CP is associated with specific patterns of brain malformations and epilepsy.
  • Early detection of brain abnormalities, including schizencephaly, is crucial for accurate prognosis and timely therapeutic interventions in children with cerebral palsy.
Abstract

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