27th Annual Susan Harryman Cerebral Palsy Lectureship: Cerebral Palsy: Maybe it's not so cerebral?

*This event is for everyone Overview: Cerebral palsy is a heterogeneous developmental clinical syndrome. Despite “cerebral” playing a significant component of the diagnosis, it is difficult to predict the physical symptoms necessary for diagnosis based on brain imaging alone. While there is extensive ongoing work looking at the brain and muscle in individuals with cerebral palsy, there is very little work investigating the role of the spinal cord. A critical component of neuromotor control is the brain – muscle interface, which occurs through the motor neurons in the spinal cord. In our lab, we are investigating the properties of spinal motor neurons in a mouse model of developmental hypertonia. In this presentation, I will discuss the role of motor neurons in neuromotor control along with the role the spinal motor neurons may play in contributing to the physical symptoms of cerebral palsy. I will do this through a combination of discussion of lived experience, evidence-based basic science and clinical work, along with clinical correlation. Educational Objectives: • Discuss role of my lived experience on trajectory of cerebral palsy research • Describe gaps in current definition and construct of cerebral palsy • Integrate spinal mechanisms into understanding of clinical cerebral palsy symptoms • Develop an awareness of the developmental disruption of the brain-spinal cord-muscle interaction in cerebral palsy Agenda: 5 minutes - introductions 10 minutes – Lived experience and background 10 minutes – Gaps in CP definition and construct 10 minutes – Introduction to spinal mechanisms and terminology 20 minutes – Basic science research supporting role of spinal mechanisms in CP symptoms 15 minutes – Relating basic science to clinical work supporting role of spinal mechanisms in CP symptoms 20 minutes - Q &A Lectureship Speaker: Joline E. Brandenburg, M.D., is Chair of the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation in the Department of Phy