Genetic insights into the causes and classification of the cerebral palsies

Cerebral palsy-the most common physical disability of childhood-is a clinical diagnosis encompassing a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders that cause impairments of movement and posture that persist throughout life. Despite being commonly attributed to a range of environmental factors, particularly birth asphyxia, the specific cause of cerebral palsy remains unknown in most individuals. A growing body of evidence suggests that cerebral palsy is probably caused by multiple genetic factors, similar to other neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and intellectual disability. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have made possible rapid and cost-effective sequencing of the entire human genome. Novel cerebral palsy genes will probably be identified as more researchers and clinicians use this approach to study individuals with undiagnosed neurological disorders. As our knowledge of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of cerebral palsy increases, so will the possibility of developing genomically guided therapeutic interventions.