Association Between CT Scan Findings of the Head and Motor Impairment Patterns in Paediatric Cerebral Palsy

Open Access

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) comprises a group of permanent movement and posture disorders resulting from non-progressive disturbances in the developing brain. Neuroimaging, especially CT scans, plays a vital role in determining etiology, particularly in resource-limited settings where it remains a primary diagnostic tool. Objective: To categorize the CT findings of the head and examine their correlation with the types of motor disturbances in children with CP. Methods & Materials: Conducted at the Paediatric Neurology unit of BSMMU between July 2009 and July 2010, this cross-sectional study included 120 children with CP. These children were randomly selected, and each underwent a brain CT scan. The CT findings were then correlated with the patients' motor disturbances. Results: The study involved 120 children with CP, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.4:1. Most children were aged 49-60 months (29.2%). Abnormal CT scans were present in 85.0% of patients, whereas 15.0% had normal results. Cerebral atrophy was identified as the most frequent abnormality (55.8%). Hemiplegia was the most common form of motor disturbance (30.0%), with 86.1% showing abnormalities on CT. The highest incidence of cerebral atrophy was seen in hemiplegic (32.8%), hypotonic (20.9%), and diplegic (19.4%) types. Additionally, diplegic CP showed the highest rate of cerebral infarction (6 cases), while dyskinetic CP had the lowest abnormality rate (15.4%). Bilateral involvement was observed in 4.2% of cases despite unilateral clinical signs. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the clinical pattern of motor disturbance correlates with brain CT results. Generally, more abnormal CT findings indicate a higher likelihood of motor impairment in children with CP.