Follow-up Studies in Cerebral Palsy

Under the auspices of the Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled, a follow-up study on young adults with cerebral palsy between the ages of 17 and 25 years was carried out by means of a questionnaire. These young adults had attended treatment centres in various parts of Canada. One hundred and seventy-six completed questionnaires were used for analysis. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the present status of these individuals in terms of competitive employment, recreational pursuits and residence. At the time of the survey, 50 of these subjects were engaged in competitive employment or were considered to be potentially employable. The detailed findings of this study are compared with those of other surveys, and factors influencing the potential of disabled persons are reviewed.     

Diazepam: A Preliminary Study of its Effects on Patients with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy

Diazepam was administered to seven severely affected athetoid children for a period of two to three months to determine whether beneficial effects could be demonstrated from its use. All patients were started on a daily dose of 2.5 mg. and the dose was increased as tolerated. The patients were assessed by a neurologist, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist and a speech therapist before and after the trial.The dose of diazepam cannot be determined in advance. The optimum dose must be established by trial in each individual patient. No beneficial effects were noted in four of these children. One of those who showed improvement became significantly worse when the drug was withdrawn and it was necessary to reinstitute the drug. The response in any individual patient is unpredictable. The most significant side effect was drowsiness.