Diagnostic Definitions

Afebrile--without fever

Anoxia--lack of oxygen.

Aphasia--A neurological impairment where there are problems with speaking or loss of speech.

Apraxia--loss of ability to do simple or routine tasks. The inability to execute skilled tasks. For information on verbal apraxia see Apraxia Kids.

Aspirate--to suck liquid or food into the lungs. Can cause tracheal scarring, pneumonia, etc. Aspiration is not always outwardly noticeable or easily diagnosed.

Ataxia--a blocked ability to coordinate movements. Characterized by poor balance and loose muscle tone, in ataxic cerebral palsy this is caused by damage to the cerebellum.

Athetosis--neurological condition caused by damage to the cerebellum and/or basal ganglia. Characterized by slow, twisting, involuntary movements of the arms, legs and face.

BronchoPulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)--a chronic lung disease seen in premature infants. For more information see Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Cerebral anoxia--caused by failure of blood circulation in the brain and can exist for no more then 4-6 minutes before permanent brain damage occurs.

Cerebral edema--a pooling of fluid in the brain tissues causing swelling.

Cerebral palsy--caused by damage to the brain that then affects fine and/or gross and/or oral motor function. The damage causes an interruption in the signals that the brain tries to send to the muscles.

Clonus--abnormal activity of the nerves sending signals to the muscles, person cannot control rapid tensing and relaxing of muscles. Exaggerated reflexes.

Contracture--abnormal condition of the joint where the joint is bent and will not move. Contractures are caused by shortening of muscles or tendons.

Diplegia--a form of cerebral palsy affecting both legs equally. Can also affect fine motor in the upper extremeties and also the trunk slightly but the legs will be primarily affected.

Dislocation--most often a bone moved from its normal position with a joint.

Dorsal flexion--Flexion of the ankle which makes the top of the foot turn toward the body.

Dysgrapia--writing related learning disability where the person has trouble processing information into written work. For more information see LD Online

Dysphagia--difficulty in swallowing, from blockage or motor disorders of the esophagus.

Dysphasia--difficulty in speaking, not as severe as aphasia.

Dyspraxia--see Apraxia

Dystonia--a neurological movement disorder that causes unusual postures, repetitive movements, jerking because of sustained muscle contractions. For more information see Dystonia On-Line Support Group.

Eversion--when a body part turns out away from the body.

Febrile--high body temperature, fever.

Febrile Seizures--occur with a fever. Mostly with high fevers but some children's seizure threshold is low and a seizure will occur with even a low grade fever. For more information see Febrile Seizure Fact Sheet.

Fine motor--the use of small muscles of the body including the face, hands, fingers, feet and toes.

Flexion--decrease in the angle between two joints. Occurse when you bend a joint such as bending the knee or elbow.

Gross motor--the use of the big muscles in the body including legs, arms and abdomen.

HEELP Syndrome--A group of symptoms that occur in pregnant women who have (H) hemolytic anemia, (EL) elevated liver enzymes, and (LP) low platelet count. Occurs in approximately 10% of pregnant women with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Symptoms: Progressive nausea and vomiting, upper abdominal pain, and headache. HELLP syndrome can rapidly progress to an emergency condition!

Hemianopia--defective vision or blindness in one half of the visual field.

Hemiplegia--paralysis of one side of the body. Spastic Hemiplegia--affects one side of the body with increased tendon reflexes and spasms occurring in the affected muscles.

Hemiparisis--muscular weakness of one side of the body.

Homonymous hemianopia--defective vision or blindness in the right or left halves of the visual fields of both eyes. This is a frequent condition people who have suffered a stroke.

Hyaline Membrane Disease--Seen in premature infants because of lung immaturity that causes a surfactant deficiency. Surfactant is what keeps the alveoli of the lungs from collapsing. When there is a deficiency this can lead to respiratory failure. Also known as Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Hydrocephalus--A disorder characterized by an abnormal amount of spinal fluid in the brain that causes the ventricles to become enlarged. This usually causes increased pressure in the brain, which if not shunted can cause brain damage and even death.

Hyperextension--the over extention of a joint. If not corrected will cause injury to the joint. Seen a lot in knees of children with cp who are ambulatory.

Hypertonic--high muscle tone(spasticity)

Hypotonic--low muscle tone(floppy/weak)

Hypoxia--not enough oxygen in the cells

Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy--brain damage from a shortage of oxygen or blood flow to the tissues.

Infantile paralysis--Polio/Poliomyelitis--a disease caused by a virus that can cause irritation of brain membranes. This can then cause paralysis of parts of the body.

Infantile Spasms--Seizures that occur during infancy (on set is usually 3-8 months of age) and are characterized by sudden, brief, involuntary muscle contraction in one or several muscle groups. These are often treated with ACTH. If these seizures are hard to control in child it can affect mental ability. For more information see http://www.neuro.wustl.edu/epilepsy/pediatric/articleInfantileSpasms.html

Infarct--an area of decay in a tissue, vessel, organ, or part resulting from an interruption in the blood supply to the area, or less frequently, by blockage of a vein that carries blood away from the area.

Inversion--when a body part turns in toward the body.

Left Hemiplegia/hemiparesis--affects the left side of the body when there is brain damage to the right side of the brain. If the brain damage occurs before, during or after birth up to the age of 2 or so then this is considered cerebral palsy.

Lissencephaly--The brain is small and smooth. For more information see The Lissencephaly Network

Meconium--a material that forms in the intestines of a fetus to form the first stool of the newborn.

Meconium aspiration--When there is meconium present in the amniotic fluid and the baby breaths it into its lungs. The presence of meconium in the amniotic fluid it sign that there waas fetal distress. Aspiration of meconium can cause blockage of the air passages to that the lungs cannot expand and/or cause pneumonia. Meconium aspiration can cause hypoxia which can then lead to a later diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

Microcephaly--means small head. It is a neurological condition characterized by an abnormally small head. Mental Retardation can be associated with this but is not always.

Microencephaly--means small brain. Can be used interchangeably with microcephaly. For more information see NINDS Microcephaly Information Page

Myotonic Dystrophy--a progressive disorder characterized by by generalized weakness, the inability of the muscles to relax after contracting, and wasting of the muscles in the hands, face, feet and neck initially. Also known as Steinert's disease or Dystrophia Myotonica. For more information see International Myotonic Dystrophy Organization

Nystagmus--involuntary movements of one or both eyes from side to side, up and down, around or a mixture of these. For more information see American Nystagmus Network

Ollier's Disease--rare disorder where benign tumors(enchondromas) form in the cartiledge cells of developing bones of the arms and legs and prevent normal growth of the bone. For more information see Factors of Ollier's Disease

Pachygyria--A neuronal migration disorder causing the folds of the brain to be thicker and wider than normal. For more information see Pachygyria Information

Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL)--damage to the white matter of the brain near the ventricles.

Placenta Previa--where the placenta is buried abnormally in the uterus so that it partially or completely covers the cervix. PP Information.

Placental Abruption--When the placenta pulls away from the uterus before birth.

Plantar Flexion--Extension of the ankle that makes the forefoot turn away from the body.

Poland's Syndrome--extremely rare congenital developmental disorder characterized by short, webbed fingers, and missing or underdeveloped chest muscles. For more information see Poland's Syndrome Information

Pre-eclampsia--condition characterized by very high blood pressure, protein in the urine and edema, after the 6th month of pregnancy. For more information see Pre-eclampsia Foundation.

Pronation--the flattening of the arch when your foot hits the ground. This is when you walk on the inner edge of the foot and the ankle is bent inward. This usually causes the toes to point out away from the body.

Proprioception--sensory system that allows us to know the position of body parts and the motions of muscles and joints.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome--see Hyaline Membrane Disease

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)--An eye disease of the premature baby's eye that results when there is abnormal growth of blood vessels. For more information see http://www.lowvision.org/retinopathy_of_prematurityxx.htm

Retrolental Fibroplasia--a condition in premature infants where a fiberlike tissue forms behind the lens of the eye causing blindness. See also Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Right Hemiplegia/Hemiparesis--affects the right side of the body when there is brain damage to the left side of the brain

Schizenchaphly--A rare developmental disorder where the brain's cerebral hemispheres have clefts in them. This is a form of porencephaly. For more information see Schiz Kidz Buddies

Septicemia--an infection of the whole body. Also known as blood poisening.

Spasticity--increased muscle tone (stiffness) which makes movement difficult.

Spina Bifida--A neural tube defect caused when the spine fails to close properly in the first month of pregnancy. For more information see Spina Bifida Association of America

Static Encephalopathy--damage to or anomolies of the brain that are nonprogressive. This means that a patients brain damage will not get worse or deteriorate. It does not mean that physical symptoms will not get worse or change as with growth spurts which can cause an increase in spasticity. Cerebral Palsy is one form of static encephalopathy if there is fine/gross/oral motor involvment because of the brain damage.

Strabismus--A defect of the eyes where they are misaligned and point in different directions. For more information see Optometrist Network

Subluxation--A partial dislocation.

Supination--a movement allowed by some joints--example is the wrist and elbow when you turn your palm up. Also can refer to underpronation causing an insufficient inward roll of the foot after landing or in other words you are standing on the outside edge of the foot.

Toxemia--see preeclampsia

Valgus--An abnormal position where part of a limb is bent or twisted outward, away from the body. With cp could be seen in problems with the legs/feet.

Varus--An abnormal position where part of a limb is turned inward toward the midline of the body. With cp could be seen in problems with the legs/feet.

Ventricular Septal Defect--A whole in the septum separating the ventricles of the heart. This permits blood to flow from the left ventricle to the right ventricle and to recirculate through the pulmonary artery and the lungs. The most common heart defect present at birth, treatment consists of surgery to repair the defect usually early in childhood.

Vestibular--The sensory system located in the inner ear that allows us to maintain balance and enjoy movements such as swinging.

Visual Motor coordination--Being able to coordinate vision with the movement of the body. Hand-eye coordination.

Visual Perception--How the brain perceives what the eyes see.