Young Adult Cerebral Palsy Fictional Case Study

Introduction

Cerebral palsy (CP) arises from damage or malformations to the brain during development and is one of the most common paediatric onset physical disability (Whitney et al., 2019). CP can lead to a variety of neurological and neuromuscular alterations which prevent optimal motor function capacity and mechanical loading (Whitney et al., 2019). CP is a non-progressive disorder of posture and movement pathology (Bromham et al., 2019). It is typically associated with an impairment of the developing fetal brain or an infant brain, typically up till 2 years old (Bromham et al., 2019). This is typically the age where these malformations occur as the brain is rapidly growing during this time which increases the risk for damage (Bromham et al., 2019). The prevalence of CP is approximately 2-3 individuals per every 1000, most affecting children but continues into adulthood (Bromham et al., 2019).

There are many different types of CP which are often classified in terms of whether it is a unilateral or bilateral disorder, the motor subtype (spastic, dystonia, dyskinesia, etc.) and the severity (Bromham et al., 2019). Spastic diplegia affects 35% of children diagnosed with CP, making it one of the most common types of CP (Patel et al., 2020). This form of CP typically involves muscle stiffness bilaterally in the lower limbs, however, individuals will have normal cognitive function and a good prognosis for independent ambulation (Patel et al., 2020). The severity can be categorized by a the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) which has been approved and validated for individuals with CP ages 0-18 at the time of diagnosis (Bromham et al., 2019). Although it is not validated in adults, it can provide a good indication of what their functional mobility will be like into adulthood. This classification system describes the gross motor function based on self-initiated movement abilities, with level I representing individuals who are most able and level V representing individuals most dependent on others for all mobility needs (Bromham et al., 2019).

Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS)

(Bromham et al., 2019)

Level	Limitation
Level I	Walks without restrictions; limitations in more advanced gross motor skills
Level II	Walks without assistive devices; limitations walking outdoors and in the community
Level III	Walks with assistive devices; limitations walking outdoors and in the community
Level IV	Self-mobility with limitations; the person is transported or uses power mobility outdoors and in the community
Level V	Self-mobility is severely limited even with the use of assistive technology

See the link below for additional Information on the GMFCS:

Gross Motor Function Classification System - Expanded and Revised (GMFCS-ER)

There is a lack of research and evidence behind CP once individuals reach adulthood. However, adults with CP may experience decreased mobility because of a number of factors, including muscle tone, weakness, and pain (Bromham et al., 2019). Adults with CP have a wide range of abilities from full independence to 24 care needed (Bromham et al., 2019). Although CP is a non-progressive disorder, adults may experience new symptoms and difficulties due to progressions of musculoskeletal disorders and comorbidities that are associated with their CP diagnosis (Bromham et al., 2019). Additionally, young adults, ages 18-30 years old, with CP have been shown to have approximately ten times more of a risk for musculoskeletal conditions compared to young adults without CP (Whitney et al., 2019). Some common comorbidities that have been identified in adults with CP are hypertension, depression, epilepsy, osteoarthritis, and many more (Whitney & Kamdar, 2021). There is also a variability in the services for adults with CP and how they are provided, and there is not as much focus in the health care system on long term needs of adults with CP (Bromham et al., 2019).

The purpose of this case presentation is to explore the effects of CP on a young adult who is independent but experiencing new symptoms with her CP in adulthood. The case presentation will take place in an outpatient setting and will discuss all necessary components of a comprehensive physiotherapy exam. This case presentation will then discuss the analysis and plan for this individual and will also touch on some newer technologies available for CP treatment, and how an interdisciplinary team can be beneficial to treating adults with CP. The overall goal of this case presentation is to bring awareness to CP in adulthood as there is not a lot of evidence and information out there for how to care for these individuals. As CP is a non-progressive disease this case study will focus on maintaining function while creating new management and treatment strategies for new symptoms that may arise in adulthood.

Bellow is a brief video with additional information about cerebral palsy:

Client Characteristics

Blake Parker (she/her) is a 21 year old female who has been diagnosed with CP. She was diagnosed at the age of 4 with diplegic spastic CP affecting her bilateral lower extremities. At the time of her diagnosis she was classified as a level II on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (CMFCS) Score. She was born premature and has a past medical history of depression and osteoarthritis. She was previously able to ambulate without a gait aid and complete all activities of daily living (ADLs) independently. The patient is seeking outpatient physiotherapy as she has been experiencing increased bilateral diffuse knee pain, increased difficulty walking , and has not been attending her university classes due to the pain for the past four weeks. The pain has progressively gotten worse over the last 4 weeks reaching an 8/10 on the numeric pain rating scale when walking and takes about 20 minutes to come back down to a 2/10 at rest. The patient lives in her two-story family home with her parents and three sisters in Kingston, Ontario. She is a general arts student at Queen's University and enjoys volunteering at a horse range, exercising with friends, and reading in her free time.

Examination Findings

Subjective

History of Present Complaint

• Increased bilateral diffuse knee pain
  • At rest 2/10, with activity 8/10 (after 10 minutes of walking)
  • Pain comes back down to a 2/10 after 20 minutes of rest
  • Reports pain as a dull achy pain but with activity but become tight and sharp
  • If standing for long periods time, knee will start to ache
• No MOI, started 4 weeks ago
• Increased difficulty walking distances of more than 10 mins
• Unable to attend school currently due to issues with walking and stairs, doing virtual school instead

Past Medical History

• Born premature at 30 weeks
• Diagnosed with CP at the age of 4, level 2 on GMFCS score
• Depression (diagnosed in 2019)
• Osteoarthritis (diagnosed in 2021)
• Minor attention span and memory issues but pt noted it doesn’t affect her daily activities
• Attended physiotherapy from age of 4-16 regularly to develop a good regime to keep her symptoms of CP managed (has been self managing since age 16)

Current Functional Status

• Ambulates without gait aid but pain becomes severe after 10 minutes of walking
• Can perform ADLs independently
• Able to horseback ride currently, but unable to volunteer at events due to long periods of standing and walking
  • Hippotherapy
• Feels fatigued by the end of the day

Past Functional Status

• Able to ambulate independently without gait aid and without pain for 30 minutes
• Has forearm crutches but only brings them with her on distances of more than 1 hour and will not use until she absolutely needs them
• Able to perform ADLs independently
• Able to attend school and walk around campus independently

Social History

• Supportive family (lives with parents and 3 sisters in Kingston)
• Has many supportive friends who enjoy helping her
• Undergraduate student in general arts at Queen’s University
• Leisure: enjoys hanging out with friends, reading books, and painting
• Enjoys horseback riding on the weekends with her friends and volunteers with events at their range
• Exercises 2-3 x/ week but has not been consistent lately
• Has occasional drinks socially with friends (1-2 on the weekends)

Medications

• Citalopram (20 mg, 1 x per day)

Home/ Work

• Lives in two storey home with family (4 stairs to get into house and 1 staircase in home)
• School/work: most buildings are accessible but fair distances between
• Volunteers at horseback riding range

Sleep/ Stress

• Trouble sleeping at night due to staying up late to study and finish assignments
• Stress levels are elevated (6/10) due to not being able to attend school in person and not having her volunteering as an outlet
• Sleep is increasingly affected due to new knee pain