Epidemiology of spastic tetraplegic cerebral palsy in Sweden. I. Impairments and disabilities

Abstract

Ninety-six children and adolescents, born in 1959-78, with spastic tetraplegic cerebral palsy (TPL) were studied in terms of impairments and disabilities. The series was population-based and derived from 15 Swedish counties, and the city of Gothenburg, a population of 4.5 million people in all. All the patients had a pronounced motor disability with severe spastic pareses of all four limbs, and all of them were severely mentally retarded. None of them could speak. Ninety-four percent had epilepsy, 47% were severely impaired visually. Additional impairments were hip luxation(s) in 75%, severe contractures in 73% and scoliosis in 72%. Sixty-eight percent of cases had secondary microcephaly; 13% were born microcephalic. - The general uniformity of the severity and multiplicity of the impairment and disability pattern is emphasized - making the TPL group suitable for scientific care load studies on the basic requirements for the care of the profoundly retarded with maximum multi-handicaps.