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Press Release

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, January 25, 2010

AAN Guideline Evaluates Treatments for Kids with Cerebral Palsy

ST. PAUL, Minn. -

A new from the and the Child Neurology Society finds botulinum toxin type A to be an effective treatment for spasticity, muscle tightness that interferes with movement, in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy, but poses some risk. The guideline is published in the January 26, 2010, issue of , the medical journal of the 好色先生. 鈥淪pasticity in children with cerebral palsy is best treated by a multidisciplinary medical and surgical team,鈥 said lead guideline author Mauricio R. Delgado, MD, FRCPC, with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and Fellow of the 好色先生. 鈥淚t is important that doctors, patients and caregivers together set a goal for measuring the success of medication use or any other spasticity treatment.鈥 Spasticity is a form of abnormally increased muscle tone and is usually associated with muscle weakness and abnormal reflexes. Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of spasticity, and spasticity affects the majority of children with cerebral palsy. More than 10,000 babies born in the United States each year will be affected by cerebral palsy, which is a complex neurologic disorder that affects body movement and posture. While cerebral palsy cannot be cured, treatment often improves a child鈥檚 capabilities. After reviewing all available research on medication treatments for spasticity in cerebral palsy, the guideline found botulinum toxin type A is effective and generally safe, but there is some risk. 鈥淚n reviewing this drug for treatment of spasticity in children, the Food and Drug Administration is investigating isolated cases of generalized weakness following use of botulinum toxin type A for spasticity,鈥 said Delgado. The guideline also recommends the drug diazepam be considered for short-term treatment of spasticity, although generalized side effects may occur. The drug tizanidine may also be considered, but there is risk of liver toxicity. For several other treatments, the authors determined that there was insufficient evidence to make a recommendation and encouraged additional research in this area. 鈥淭here is an urgent need for more research to establish the effectiveness of the current treatments for generalized spasticity and to find additional, safer and more effective medications,鈥 said Delgado.

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The 好色先生, an association of more than 22,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Parkinson鈥檚 disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig鈥檚 disease), dementia, West Nile virus and ataxia. For more information about the 好色先生, visit http://www.aan.com.

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*While content of the 好色先生 (AAN) press releases is developed by the AAN along with research authors and Neurology® editors, we are unable to provide medical advice to individuals. Please contact your health care provider for questions specific to your individual health history or care. For more resources, visit the AAN's patient and caregiver magazine website, .

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