A 12-month-old girl is brought to the physician because she is unable to sit and has not learned how to crawl. She keeps her hips and elbows flexed and her parents have to use considerable force to passively extend her joints. The patient was born preterm and has delayed developmental skills. Her vital signs are within normal limits. She is at the 25th percentile for length and 10th percentile for weight. Neurological examination shows increased muscle tone in all extremities. The ankle clonus and extensor plantar responses are present bilaterally. The Moro reflex is present. An MRI of the head shows periventricular leukomalacia. An oral medication is prescribed that reduces the extremity stiffness. Which of the following CNS drug effects most likely resulted in this patient's improvement?

Question

A 12-month-old girl is brought to the physician because she is unable to sit and has not learned how to crawl. She keeps her hips and elbows flexed and her parents have to use considerable force to passively extend her joints.  The patient was born preterm and has delayed developmental skills. Her vital signs are within normal limits. She is at the 25th percentile for length and 10th percentile for weight. Neurological examination shows increased muscle tone in all extremities. The ankle clonus and extensor plantar responses are present bilaterally. The Moro reflex is present. An MRI of the head shows periventricular leukomalacia.  An oral medication is prescribed that reduces the extremity stiffness.  Which of the following CNS drug effects most likely resulted in this patient's improvement?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Cerebral palsy results in spasticity (eg, hypertonia, hyperreflexia) due to a loss of descending inhibitory control. Medications used to enhance the activity of GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter of the CNS, can improve spasticity.

A 12-Month-Old Girl Is Brought to the Physician Because She