Corpus Callosum Size in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy: Relationship to Clinical Outcome

Abstract

This study examines corpus callosum pathology in children with spastic cerebral palsy aged 7 to 15 years and to investigates the relation between corpus callosum areas and clinical picture. Magnetic resonance images of 46 patients were reviewed prospectively. Twenty-two patients with cerebral palsy were age and gender matched with the control patients. The cerebral palsy group had a significantly smaller mean corpus callosum surface area than did the control group. The cerebral palsy group also had a significantly smaller mean internal skull surface area measurement than did the control group. The corpus callosum/internal skull surface area ratio was also smaller for those with cerebral palsy. Wechsler Intelligence Scale Verbal IQ scores were associated with the surface area of the corpus callosum in cerebral palsy patients. A significant relationship between corpus callosum surface area and IQ scores in children with cerebral palsy was found. A positive correlation between internal skull surface area and IQ scores in children with cerebral palsy was noted. A significant correlation between Apgar score and corpus callosum surface area in the cerebral palsy group was found. A negative correlation between corpus callosum surface area and the Gross Motor Function Classification System in patients with cerebral palsy was noted.