Prevalence, birth, and clinical characteristics of dyskinetic cerebral palsy compared with spastic cerebral palsy subtypes: A Norwegian register‐based study

Abstract

AbstractAimTo study the prevalence, birth, and clinical characteristics of children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy (CP) in Norway compared with spastic quadriplegic CP and other spastic CP subtypes.MethodData on children born from 1996 to 2015 were collected from the Norwegian Quality and Surveillance Registry for Cerebral Palsy and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway.ResultsOne hundred and seventy (6.8%) children had dyskinetic CP. The birth prevalence decreased during 1996 to 2015 from 0.21 to 0.07 per 1000 livebirths (p < 0.001). Dyskinetic CP was more often associated with term/post‐term birth, and motor and associated impairments were more severe compared with spastic bilateral and unilateral CP, but less severe than spastic quadriplegic CP. On neuroimaging, grey matter injuries were most prevalent in dyskinetic CP (mainly basal ganglia/thalamus) and spastic quadriplegic CP (mainly cortico‐subcortical), white matter injuries in spastic bilateral, and white and grey matter injuries were equally common in spastic unilateral CP. Normal neuroimaging and brain maldevelopment were present in 25% of children with dyskinetic CP.InterpretationThe decrease in birth prevalence of dyskinetic CP was probably due to improved antenatal and perinatal care. Potential sentinel events at term were more common in dyskinetic CP than other spastic CP subtypes. However, probable antenatal aetiologies were most prevalent. Motor and associated impairments were less severe in children with dyskinetic CP compared with spastic quadriplegic CP.What this paper adds Birth prevalence of those with dyskinetic and spastic bilateral cerebral palsy (CP) in Norway decreased between 1996 and 2015. Potential sentinel events at term were more common in dyskinetic CP. Nonetheless, probable antenatal aetiologies were most prevalent in dyskinetic CP. Basal ganglia/thalamus lesions were more common in dyskinetic than spastic quadriplegic CP. Motor and associated impairments were milder in dyskinetic than spastic quadriplegic CP.