No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The orbicularis oris muscle of fourteen individuals including seven cerebral palsied spastic hemplegics and seven normal individuals with Class I occlusion was examined electro-myographically to determine any differences in muscle activity on the right and left side of the lips. The age range was between eight years and seventeen years. No limitations were placed on age, sex, or race since the purpose of the study was to determine any differences in activity between the right and left sides of the orbicularis oris muscle. A six channel Polygraph Grass Model 5A was used with paired surface electrodes attached to each quadrant of the lips and connected to four channels of the Polygraph. When the lips were at rest, no muscle activity was detected for either group. When the lips were tested during voluntary swallowing, involuntary swallowing associated with straw drinking and holding the lips together, the activity was fairly equal and symmetrical in the normal group. However, in the cerebral palsied spastic hemiplegics, there was increased muscle activity in the orbicularis oris muscle on the hemiplegic side.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Dietary habits of 30 cerebral palsied children were investigated in this study using seven-day intake records obtained from their parents. Each child was classified in terms of physiological and topographical involvement, functional capacity, and mental retardation. All food records were evaluated in terms of the four food groups, and the nutritional adequacy and consistency of the diet were analyzed. The average number of meals per day and the frequency and types of between-meal snacks were evaluated. The cerebral palsied children, as a group, showed pronounced deficiency in all four food groups being most deficient in the vegetable-fruit group and least deficient in the bread-cereals group. In terms of nutrients, the children showed deficiencies of iron, calories, niacin, ascorbic acid, and calcium, in the order listed. The children generally consumed soft food, ate their meals at surprising regularity, and snacked approximately three items per day. Their snacks consisted of items of high nutritional value. Dietary habits did not vary significantly when they were evaluated according to types of affliction. Some effects on the consumption of milk and fruits and vegetables were observed, but because each type of cerebral palsy was not well represented, results did not warrant definite conclusions.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study sought to determine if the dental and oro-facial complex of cerebral palsied patients is different from that of the non-cerebral palsied. Twenty-six cerebral palsied patients between the ages of seven and 18 were examined. A history was taken and a data sheet was completed to record molar and cuspid relationships. The function of. the tongue and lips during swallow was also recorded. Cephalometric and hand and wrist radiographs were taken of each patient. The cephalometric measurements were statistically compared with the normative data of a non-cerebral palsied group. This analysis revealed the cranial flexure angle to be more acute and the gonial angle to be more obtuse. Comparison of the hand and wrist plates with normal standards did not show wide enough differences to conclude that cerebral palsied patients' skeletal age deviates from the chronological age. Although there was a difference in some cephalometric measurements, there is no evidence in this study to show that the incidence of malocclusion and the incidence of factors that contribute to malocclusion are found with greater frequency among cerebral palsied patients.

Abnormality in the formation of the brain causes a motor disorder called cerebral palsy. Due to this, children with cerebral palsy experience a disruption in growth and development along with permanent health issues they will face for the rest of their life. Thus, these children suffer from impaired chronic motor, seizures, and communicative disorders. Many children with cerebral palsy require a caregiver to help take care of their personal needs. The severity of cerebral palsy directly correlates with the required assistance; as the severity increases, so do the roles of the caregiver. Research demonstrates that many patients came from low-income families. Surveys conducted on the parents or caregivers found that the responsibilities of taking care of a child with cerebral palsy have impacted them personally. These impacts have resulted in negative or inefficient treatment. Studies have indicated that cerebral palsy can have a negative impact on oral health. Brushing the teeth of patients can be difficult as some have a biting reflex; consequently, sometimes caregivers will skip brushing the child’s teeth at night. Many of the studies analyzed concluded that as the severity of the cerebral palsy increased, the amount of dental caries found increased. Due to their inability to properly swallow and breathe simultaneously, some children cannot digest solid foods. Instead, their dietary intake must be liquefied to improve digestion and avoid the chance of aspiration. This makes it difficult for caretakers to identify how much sugar is in the food they consume. Some research has found a significant amount of sugar in their food; therefore, in addition to the occasionally or routinely skipped oral hygiene steps, high sugar dietary intake has been a proposed reason for the increase in dental caries observed in patients with cerebral palsy. This is an important issue that needs to be faced as children with cerebral palsy often cannot correctly communicate what problems they have to the dentist, leaving them in pain and discomfort. It has also been discovered that their diets have caused nutrient deficiencies, one of them being vitamin D which is crucial to bone and tooth health. Future research should focus on the malnutrition that children may suffer from and the preventable measures that caregivers should take. Not only does research need to be done, but dental education needs to be addressed. Dental students must be educated in how to treat patients with disabilities, especially cerebral palsy, and provide more knowledge on how to assist caregivers in easing the process for them and the child. There have been numerous reports of unprofessional practices that have dehumanized children with cerebral palsy. This study addresses this issue by bringing awareness to the reality many of these children face.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

No description available.