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Aim: To determine if walking ability and presence of intellectual disability and epilepsy change from childhood to 50 years of age in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), and if such changes are related to age, sex, or CP subtype.Method: This was a population-based follow-up study of 142 adults born from 1959 to 1978 (82 males, 60 females; mean age 48y 4mo, range 37-58y; 44% unilateral, 35% bilateral, 17% dyskinetic, and 4% ataxic CP) listed in the CP register of western Sweden. We compared childhood data with a follow-up assessment in 2016.Results: At follow-up, walking ability had changed significantly (p<0.001). The proportion of participants walking without aids had decreased from 71% to 62%, and wheelchair ambulation increased from 18% to 25%. Walking ability was related to subtype (p=0.001), but not to age, sex, pain, fatigue, or body mass index. The proportion classified as having intellectual disability had increased from 16% to 22% (p=0.039) and the proportion with epilepsy from 9% to 18% (p=0.015). Of those with childhood epilepsy, 46% were seizure-free without medication.Interpretation: Walking ability and the presence of intellectual disability and epilepsy had changed significantly since childhood. Life-long access to specialized health care is warranted for re-evaluation of impairments, treatment, and assistance. What this paper adds Changes in impairments in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) over time are related to CP subtype. After 50 years, walking ability in CP may have deteriorated or improved. Intellectual disability in CP may not always be detected in early childhood assessments. Epilepsy in CP may develop after childhood or may be outgrown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate cognitive abilities and adaptive skills in children and adolescents with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and correlate the findings to the cytosine-thymine-guanine (CTG) repeat expansion size. Method Cognitive level was assessed in 55 children and adolescents with DM1 (31 males, 24 females; mean age 12y 1mo, SD 5y 1mo; range 2y 7mo–21y 5mo) divided into the following categories: severe congenital DM1 ( n=19), mild congenital DM1 ( n=18), and childhood DM1 ( n=18). The Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale, the Wechsler Scales, and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) for adaptive skills were used for this purpose. Results Learning disability was found in 95% of the severe congenital group, 83% of the mild congenital group, and 89% of the childhood DM1 group. The more severe the form of DM1, the lower the full-scale IQ (FSIQ; rs=0.28, p=0.044). The individuals with severe congenital and childhood DM1 had a significantly higher verbal IQ than performance IQ (severe congenital: mean difference 5.7, SD 5.7, p=0.008; childhood DM1: mean difference 9.8, SD 18.0, p=0.038). CTG repeat expansion correlated negatively with FSIQ ( rs=−0.63, p<0.006). Almost all participants showed poor results on the VABS. There was a positive relationship between cognitive level and adaptive skills in the mild congenital ( rs=0.95, p<0.01) and childhood DM1 groups ( rs=0.92, p<0.01). Interpretation Children and adolescents with DM1 exhibit significant cognitive and adaptive problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]