Cerebral Palsy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cerebral Palsy, including details on symptoms, causes, types.

Neurotropic viruses and cerebral palsy: population based case-control study.

Gibson CS, MacLennan AH, Goldwater PN, Haan EA, Priest K, Dekker GA,

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide, Women's and Children's Hospital, 1st Floor Queen Victoria Building, 72 King William Road, Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia. catherine.s.gibson@adelaide.edu.au

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between cerebral palsy and direct evidence for perinatal exposure to neurotropic viruses. DESIGN: Population based case-control study. SETTING: Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital Research Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Newborn screening cards of 443 white case patients with cerebral palsy and 883 white controls were tested for viral nucleic acids from enteroviruses and herpes viruses by using polymerase chain reaction. Herpes group A viruses included herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8), and herpes group B viruses included varicella zoster virus (VZV) and human herpes viruses 6 and 7 (HHV-6 and HHV-7). RESULTS: The prevalence of viral nucleic acids in the control population was high: 39.8% of controls tested positive, and the prevalence was highest in preterm babies. The detection of herpes group B viral nucleic acids increased the risk of developing cerebral palsy (odds ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval 1.09 to 2.59). CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal exposure to neurotropic viruses is associated with preterm delivery and cerebral palsy.

Published 13 January 2006 in BMJ, 332(7533): 76-80.
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