Science / Medicine : Drug for Cerebral Palsy Studied

Children afflicted with cerebral palsy may be able to regain some control over their bodies through infusions of a drug into their spinal column, Pennsylvania researchers reported last week in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. A preliminary study involving 17 children with the most common form of cerebral palsy and six patients with other forms of so-called spasticity found that most appeared to benefit from an injection of the drug baclofen, said neurologist A. Leland Albright of the University of Pittsburgh.

Baclofen is similar to a naturally occurring chemical known as GABA that is involved in carrying signals between nerve cells. Cerebral palsy patients may lack the chemical. Injecting baclofen into the spine may replace the missing chemical, helping restore normal motor function, Albright said.

An estimated 750,000 Americans suffer from cerebral palsy and about 15,000 babies are born with the disease each year. The disease is believed to be caused by brain damage to the developing baby from a variety of causes, such as illness or poor nutrition of the mother.