Neurologists’ Views of Current Medications: Spasticity and Athetosis

Medications to treat individuals with cerebral palsy have increased significantly over the last few decades. The purpose of this article was to randomly survey practicing neurologists on a national level to determine prescribing patterns for both spasticity and athetosis. The results indicated that the most frequently prescribed medication for spasticity was Baclofen while Artane was the most frequently prescribed medication for athtetosis. Implications for special educators and support personnel are put forward. Cerebral palsy refers to a “disorder of movement and posture caused by damage to the motor control centers of the brain. .|.|. The damage that results in cerebral palsy can occur before birth, during the birth process, or after birth from an accident or injury. The condition affects muscle tone .|.|. interferes with voluntary movement and full control of the muscles, and delays growth and fine motor development” (Kirk, Gallagher, Anastasiow, & Coleman, 2006, p. 518). The two major types of cerebral palsy are spasticity and athetosis. Spasticity is characterized by exaggerated muscle tone in selective muscle groups, which often results in the limb muscles being excessively tight and hyperactive deep tendon reflexes causing repeated muscle spasms. Spasticity is the most common form of cerebral palsy accounting for up to 60% of cases (Hill, 1999).