Abstract
Bilateral spastic cerebral palsy includes several distinct clinical forms with different levels of impairment which are clearly distinguished by the severity and the principal parts of the body involved.
This chapter highlights the natural developmental history of the tetraplegic and diplegic forms in the case of no rehabilitation treatment. This knowledge is extremely useful because it provides many fundamental indications on how to plan an appropriate treatment according to the specific differences in the forms and it emphasizes the importance of keeping continually in mind the characteristics and needs of the individual child and their family throughout the various stages of development.
Regarding the aspects related to the sensorimotor impairment, it is underlined how the problem of motor control in cerebral palsy (CP) is influenced by the coexistence of positive signs such as spasticity and hyperreflexia but also by negative signs such as muscle weakness, decreased accuracy, dexterity and endurance. Intervention on the latter signs is crucial to influence motor behaviour and functional development of the child. Practical suggestions for treatment are discussed throughout the chapter.
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Giannoni, P., Zerbino, L. (2022). The Child with Bilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy. In: Giannoni, P., Zerbino, L. (eds) Cerebral Palsy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85619-9_2
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