Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical and developmental impairment in children. It is most frequently caused by an abnormality of the developing brain, or an injury acquired during pregnancy, delivery or during the first weeks of life. While all children with cerebral palsy will have neuromotor impairment, up to half of children with cerebral palsy will also experience epilepsy, intellectual limitations, impairments of hearing and/or vision, language difficulties, behavioural challenges, and skeletal deformities such as scoliosis. As part of this NCE, our project will create a multi-regional Canadian registry to identify potential risk factors related to pregnancy and interactions of the environment and genetics. In addition, we will develop animal models of cerebral palsy that mimic the human condition, in order to further understand and test the mechanisms of brain injury, and to find approaches that either protect the brain or enhance its recovery from injury. By integrating this knowledge across different research approaches and translating findings into clinical practice, we will further our goal to improve the lives of those children and families impacted by cerebral palsy and to prevent some cases of cerebral palsy in the future.

Project proposal summary

Resources

Childhood Disability LINK

McGill Faculty of Medicine

CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research

Team Leads

Michael Shevell
McGill University

Jerome Yager
University of Alberta