Evaluation of Brain MRI Changes in Cerebral Palsy Patients

Overview

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by sensorimotor impairment that arises during early childhood defined as a static insult to the developing brain. A key part of the definition for CP is a non-progressive brain injury; however, as individuals with CP age, a functional decline greater than neurotypical individuals is often present. The investigators are doing this research study to improve understanding of whether there is brain and spinal cord atrophy over time that could indicate neurodegeneration. To do this, the investigators will partner with the Cerebral Palsy Research Network to obtain brain and spinal cord MRIs from people with CP across the United States. The investigators will perform analyses on multiple longitudinal MR images of the brain and spinal cord obtained from adults with CP. Putative changes will be related with changes in function across time. ... This will be a single-center study that will compare retrospective clinical and imaging data with similar prospective data. The objective is to find out if people with Cerebral Palsy (CP) experience changes in the structures of their brain over time. A key part of the CP definition is that it is a non-progressive brain injury. However, as people with CP age, their function often deteriorates. This study seeks to determine whether changes in the brain structure may result in function changes, as they do in other types of brain injuries. The investigators are doing this research study to improve understanding of whether there is brain and spinal cord atrophy over time that could indicate neurodegeneration. To do this, the investigators will partner with the Cerebral Palsy Research Network to obtain brain and spinal cord MRIs from people with CP across the United States, as well as locally. The investigators will perform analyses on multiple longitudinal MR images of the brain and spinal cord obtained from adults with CP. Putative changes will be related with changes in function across time.

Cerebral palsy is a neurodevelopmental syndrome that arises during fetal or infant development. Cerebral palsy is defined by a static insult to the brain, such as hypoxia, brain ischemia from stroke or hypotension, infection, or trauma. This brain insult then gives rise to impairment in movement and posture. In developed nations, cerebral palsy accounts for the most common cause of childhood motor disability. Additionally, as medical care advances, survival into adulthood is increasing. Thus, studying the changes associated with cerebral palsy during the aging process is important to providing care to these individuals. A key part of the cerebral palsy definition is a non-progressive brain injury. However, as people with cerebral palsy age, their function often deteriorates. This study seeks to determine whether changes to brain structure may underlie the functional changes, as they do in other traumatic or ischemic brain injuries. There are established findings of white matter changes, grey matter changes, stroke, and vascular malformation using brain MRI in cerebral palsy, although approximately 13-14% of patients imaged have no injuries visible seen on a clinical MRI brain examination. These MRI changes are believed to be the representative static lesion(s) that occurred during fetal development or infancy and caused cerebral palsy. The investigators propose that there are structural changes identifiable through MR brain imaging in patients with cerebral palsy over time. Additionally, the clinical and functional worsening seen in cerebral palsy patients as they age may correlate with these MRI changes.