Abstract
The relationship between two types of motor deficits, namely motor delay in postural control and spastic positioning of the lower limbs, and the efficacy of prolonged administration of dantrolene sodium was investigated inagroup (n =18) of spastic cerebral palsy (CP; diplegic) children with a history of premature birth. The age range (28 months—13 years ) allowed prediction of the eventual development of the posture-locomotion system. The dose of dantrolene sodium was titrated to the dose which caused a measurable decrease in dynamic hamstring spasticity.
Assessment of postural control prior to and following 6-24 months of continual dantrolene therapy revealed that a "younger" group (N = 10; 28-48 months of age) of CP children achieved a postural control rating higher than the predicted scores whereas an "older" group (n = 8; 5-13 years of age) did not demonstrate higher scores despite realizing a greater ease of mobility. It was concluded that dantrolene therapy was effective in reducing spasticity among the CP children of all ages, and in enhancing postural-locomotor activity in younger children beyond predicted pretreatment values. The long-term safety of Dantrium® in children under five years of age has not been established.