Spacticity What is Spasticity? Spasticity is a condition in which certain muscles are continuously contracted. This contraction causes stiffness or tightness of the muscles and may interfere with movement, speech, and manner of walking....
Spinal Cord Injury What is Spinal Cord Injury? Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when a traumatic event results in damage to cells within the spinal cord or severs the nerve tracts that relay signals up and down the spinal cord. The most common...
Table of Contents Introduction What is Cerebral Palsy? What Other Medical Disorders? What Causes Cerebral Palsy? What are the Risk Factors? What Are the Early Signs? How is Cerebral Palsy Diagnosed? How is Cerebral Palsy Managed? What Specific...
Hydrocephalus What is Hydrocephalus? Hydrocephalus is a condition in which the primary characteristic is excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain. Although hydrocephalus was once known as "water on the brain," the "water" is actually...
Muscular Dystrophy What is Muscular Dystrophy (MD)? The muscular dystrophies (MD) are a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles which control movement. There are many forms of...
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus What is Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus? Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is an abnormal increase of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain's ventricles, or cavities. It occurs if the normal flow of CSF throughout...
What is Cerebral Palsy Cerebral palsy is an umbrella-like term used to describe a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement that appear in the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time. The disorders are...
Comprehensive Overview of Specific Learning Disabilities What are Learning Disabilities? Learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning...
Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders) Not until the middle of the twentieth century was there a name for a disorder that now appears to affect an estimated one of every five hundred children, a disorder that causes...
Medications SPECIAL MESSAGE This summary is designed to help mental health patients and their families understand how and why medications can be used as part of the treatment of mental health problems. It is important for you to be well...