Cerebral Palsy: Symptom Collection, Not Disease?

Historically, cerebral palsy (CP) was linked largely to events at birth, including prematurity or temporary loss of oxygen to the brain, but research over the past decade has suggested that genetic factors contribute to CP in many children. In a study publishing in the Cell Press journal American Journal of Human Genetics on September 3, researchers report that only 89 of the 515 genes previously linked to CP have a statistically significant association with the condition. They suggest that instead of viewing CP as a single disease with genetic causes, it may be better described as a collection of symptoms that can occur in many different conditions as a result of both genetic variants and environmental factors.