How does aging affect persons with cerebral palsy

Adults with cerebral palsy age in the same way as do other adults
in the general population. There may be differences, however, in
the way in which the consequences of the aging process manifest
themselves.

The presence of motor impairments and other associated
conditions may adversely interact with the aging process and may
result in atypical adult development and aging. It is assumed that
some decline will be due to the aging process, some to the effects
of the primary disabling condition (including associated conditions)
or secondary conditions, some to the interaction of the two, and
others to unrelated or co-existing diseases.
The interaction of these factors (aging, lifelong motor
impairment and associated conditions, secondary conditions
and age-related disease) may lead to decreased over-all
function. There is little published information about the
interaction of the aging process, the primary disabling condition,
any associated conditions and secondary conditions, among
adults with cerebral palsy. There is also not much information
about the impact of commonly practiced interventions with
persons with a disability over a lifetime. 

It is difficult to establish which of these factors has the greatest
impact and what can be done to slow or stop these changes.
We do know, however, that environmental supports, such as
assistive technologies, play an increasingly critical role in
maintaining the balance among functional limitations associated
with aging, life-long impairments, and independence for persons
with cerebral palsy.

Thus, there is a clear need for more knowledge that will help
explain the causes of age-related and functional changes in
persons with life-long disabilities, as well as the role of
environmental supports. As greater numbers of adults with
cerebral palsy grow older and as they become more vocal in
expressing their concerns about their aging bodies, health care
professionals are becoming more aware that they don’t know
what constitutes the “typical course of aging.’

Are the consequences of the aging process different from peers
who do not have cerebral palsy, or is it the same but with
greater chances of disease or dysfunction? Is the process of
aging among persons with life-long motor disabilities the same
as among family members and other adults in the general
population? If different, is this difference inherent in the
neurological impairment? How is aging affected by interventions
in childhood and adolescence, and by activities of daily living?  
The discussion that follows covers a range of secondary
conditions and problems experienced by adults with cerebral
palsy and raises a series of questions that warrant further
investigation.

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