Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 27, 2025
Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
Published on: December 18, 2016
The Origin of the Cerebral Palsies: Contribution of Population-Based Neuroimaging Data
Veronka Horber1, Elodie Sellier2, Karen Horridge3
1Department of Paediatric Neurology, University Children's Hospital, Tübingen, Germany.
Insights
Cerebral palsy (CP) is primarily a brain lesion condition, with white matter injury common in preterm infants. Ataxic CP and maldevelopments were less frequent in this large European study.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Radiology
Background:
- The Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE) conducted a population-based study on neuroimaging in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- This study utilized a magnetic resonance imaging classification system (MRICS) for standardized analysis of brain pathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the first population-based neuroimaging findings in children with cerebral palsy (CP) across Europe.
- To analyze patterns of brain pathology in relation to CP subtypes and gestational age using MRICS.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 3,818 children with CP across 18 European countries, born between 1999 and 2009.
- Classification of brain pathologies using the MRICS based on the timing of brain development.
Main Results:
- Predominant white matter injury was the most frequent finding (49%), particularly in preterm infants (<32 weeks gestation, 80%).
- Maldevelopments were found in 11% of cases; ataxic CP showed a higher proportion of maldevelopments and normal findings compared to other CP subtypes.
- MRI patterns were predominantly lesional for unilateral spastic (77%), bilateral spastic (71%), and dyskinetic CP (59%).
Conclusions:
- Cerebral palsy is largely a lesional condition on a population basis, with maldevelopments being less common, except in ataxic CP.
- Preterm infants typically exhibit lesions consistent with their gestational age, suggesting potential for lesion reduction through advancements in perinatal and neonatal care.
Background:
Surveillance of cerebral palsy in Europe (SCPE) presents the first population-based results on neuroimaging findings in children with cerebral palsy (CP) using a magnetic resonance imaging classification system (MRICS).
Method:
MRIs of children with CP born between 1999 and 2009 from 18 European countries were analyzed. MRICS identifies patterns of brain pathology according to timing during brain development which was analyzed with respect to CP subtypes and gestational age.
Results:
MRIs or written reports from 3,818 children were available. The main clinical characteristics were similar to the 5,415 without such data. Most frequent was predominant white matter injury (49%), followed by predominant gray matter injury (21%). Maldevelopments were found in 11% of cases. Miscellaneous findings were present in 8.5% and normal findings in 10.6%. MRI patterns of children with unilateral spastic, bilateral spastic, and dyskinetic CP were mainly lesional (77, 71, and 59%, respectively), whereas children with ataxic CP had more maldevelopments, miscellaneous, and normal findings (25, 21, and 32%, respectively). In children born preterm, predominant white matter injury was most prevalent (80% in children born <32 weeks of gestation).
Conclusion:
Analysis of MRI in the European CP database identified CP as a mainly lesional condition on a large population basis, maldevelopments were relatively uncommon. An exception was ataxic CP. Children born preterm mostly presented with a lesion typical for their gestational age (GA) at birth. The decreasing prevalence of CP in this group suggests that progress in perinatal and neonatal medicine may lead to a reduction of these lesions.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Prosopagnosia
01:11Cerebrum: Anatomical Overview II