Extrapyramidal cerebral palsy: a changing view

Earlier surveys of cerebal palsy characterized patients with extrapyramidal (choreoathetoid) cerebral palsy as having little cognitive impairment and few associated deficits. Anoxia, which has now replaced neonatal hyperbilirubinemia as a major cause of this type of cerebral palsy, predictably produces a diffuse type of brain damage. Evaluations of children with extrapyramidal cerebral palsy seen in a pediatric habilitation center revealed high incidences of mental retardation, epilepsy, and other associated deficits. These findings have implications for the management and habilitation of children with extrapyramidal cerebral palsy.