Synopsis:

Chronic pain is common in children and young people with cerebral palsy, yet it is often overlooked, inadequately assessed and poorly managed. This is especially true for those with communication and cognitive limitations that impact their ability to self-report their pain. The consequences of ongoing pain for the young person and their family can be life altering and sometimes devastating.

This Grand Round will present recent advances in the identification, understanding, assessment and management of chronic pain in children and young people with cerebral palsy. A clinical narrative will be used to highlight the most up to date research to help guide clinical care.

Speakers:

Associate Professor Adrienne Harvey is a physiotherapist by background and Principal Research Fellow in Neurodisability and Rehabilitation at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She leads a national program of research into chronic pain in children and young people with cerebral palsy. Adrienne is the lead investigator on a MRFF funded project CP Pain-Ed: Co-Creating an Innovative Pain Education Intervention for Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Clinical Associate Professor Giuliana Antolovich is a paediatrician in the Department of Neurodevelopment and Disability at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne (RCH).  She is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne and an Honorary Fellow at The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Giuliana’s clinical work over almost 30 years has focused on the care of children and adolescents with complex disability and chronic medical conditions.