Cerebral Palsy Patients Walk Again
It's not a miracle drug, but it's making a big difference in the lives of disabled children. Research shows regular injections of a drug called Botox can help children with Cerebral Palsy walk better.
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THREE YEARS AGO SHELBY GRIDER WAS CLIMBING AROUND LIKE OTHER TWO-YEAR-OLDS. BUT CEREBRAL PALSY KEPT HER FROM WALKING ON HER OWN.
Doug Wallace, M.D.
Pediatric Orthopedist
Children's Hospital and Healthcare
San Diego, CA
"The brain is sending abnormal signals to the muscles to contract."
DOCTOR DOUG WALLACE BLOCKS SHELBY'S ABNORMAL BRAIN SIGNALS WITH A DRUG CALLED BOTOX.
Doug Wallace, M.D.
"We disconnect the wiring so the impulse from the brain to the muscle doesn't actually reach the muscle any longer."
AND NOW, LOOK AT SHELBY GO.
RESEARCH INVOLVING CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY SHOWS 46% WALKED BETTER AFTER RECEIVING BOTOX INJECTIONS.
Renee Grider
Shelby's Mother
"This has made an absolutely huge difference in her life."
SHELBY'S MOM SAYS BOTOX RESCUED HER DAUGHTER, JUST LIKE A FAIRY TALE.
Renee Grider
"That was my biggest fear, was that she wouldn't have the same chances in life that other kids would."
NOW, SHELBY DOES IT ALL. SHE PLAYS HER TOY PIANO.
SHE READS WITH HER MOTHER.
AND SHE TAKES ON THE STAIRCASE AT HOME, ALL BY HERSELF. SHE SAYS IT FEELS REALLY GOOD.
Shelby Grider
"When I walk like other people, like everybody else."
BOTOX INJECTIONS CAN LAST FOR UP TO 6 MONTHS AND DOCTORS SAY THEY ARE SO EFFECTIVE MUSCLE SURGERY CAN OFTEN BE DELAYED OR EVEN AVOIDED.
BACKGROUND: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have problems with muscle spasticity. The brain sends abnormal signals to the muscles to contract, causing difficulty with walking and other motor skills. Researchers say 88 percent of patients are diagnosed with some form of muscle spasticity. Foot deformities, where the foot points downward, are common manifestations of prolonged muscle spasticity. This often leads to abnormal motion, impaired balance, and permanent foot deformities that may require surgery.
STUDY/PROCEDURE: Research has shown that injections of Botulinum toxin type A (commonly called Botox), a neuromuscular blocking agent, reduces muscle tone/overactivity in children with CP. "We disconnect the wiring so the impulse from the brain to the muscle doesn't actually reach the muscle any longer," says Doug Wallace, M.D., a pediatric orthopedist at Children's Hospital in San Diego. Children's Hospital was among nine medical centers worldwide that enrolled 207 children in a study. Botox injections were given approximately every three months. Outcomes measured included a Physician Rating Scale of gait, ankle range of motion measurements, and the incidence and profile of adverse events. Dynamic gait pattern on the Physician Rating Scale improved in 46 percent of the 155 patients at first follow-up. The response was maintained in 41 percent to 58 percent of patients for two years.
WHERE: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Children's Hospital of Orange County, Irvine, California; Children's Hospital, San Diego, California; Newington Children's Hospital, Newington, Connecticut; Hugh MacMillan Rehabilitation Center, Toronto, Canada; Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York; Clinical Neurologica, Policlinic, Italy; Fundacion Jiminez Diaz, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain; and Allergan, Inc., Irvine, California participated in the study.
ADDED BENEFITS: Muscle surgery for children with CP is often not successful in the long-term because of their continued growth. The affected muscles must stretch to match bone growth, canceling the effects of the operation. Surgery also has potential complications, such as infection. With Botox injections, children with CP can often delay or even avoid surgery. For the temporary pain of an injection, Dr. Wallace says a Botox shot can be effective for as long as four to six months. There are almost no side effects, according to Dr. Wallace. In addition, Botox injections allow such precision that parts of muscles can be targeted. This allows the patient to retain the use of the unaffected part of the muscle, while allowing the affected portion the chance to "catch up," in Dr. Wallace's words.
Brook Williamson
Children's Hospital
MC 5005
3020 Children's Way
San Diego, CA 92123-4282
bwilliamson@chsd.org
Copyright © 2002 Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc.
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