[Involuntary movements and birth injuries to brain]

Asphyxia may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy (CP) in a subpopulation of patients, although this has recently been questioned by some investigators. Here I describe the results of our analyses into the involuntary movements of children with CP, which resulted from perinatal hypoxic brain damages. Based on cranial CT or MRI findings, the patients were divided into five groups: A, those showing high density on CT in the basal nuclei (bilateral thalami in particular); B, those showing destruction of bilateral putamina; C, those with diffuse low-density areas in the cerebral white matter on CT during the neonatal period that evolved later into polycystic leukomalacia; D, those with similar low-density areas which subsequently resolved; and E, those without any pathological findings. Using video records, I demonstrated the motor development of six cases with CP. Patients of Group A showed pure athetosis with hypotonia. A patient of Group B had severe athetoid CP with spasticity, being unable to right his trunk and neck. A case of Group C developed severe spastic quadriplegia with athetosis. His mental ability was retained to some extent. In Group D, there was moderate spasticity and mild athetosis. A patient with transient anxia had disturbance in the coordinated finger movements. Cases with choreic movements had no particular CT or MRI findings. Even in the severest of these cases, distinction from normal infants was difficult in the very early infancy. After four to five months, locomotive prognoses were well predicted by the patients' ability to control their trunk. To know more about the pathogenesis and CP and to elucidate the significance of involuntary movements, further data should be accumulated by clinical observations on motor development, and by imaging studies.