NBCSN Nationally Certified School Nurse Practice Exam

Cerebral palsy is primarily caused by damage to which part of the body?

1. Spine

2. Brain

3. Heart

4. Ears

The correct answer is: Brain

Cerebral palsy is primarily a neurological disorder that results from damage to the brain, particularly affecting areas involved in motor control. This damage can occur during pregnancy, childbirth, or shortly after birth and impacts the brain's ability to transmit messages to the muscles, leading to impaired movement and coordination. The brain's developmental stage at the time of injury plays a crucial role in the severity and type of symptoms experienced by individuals with cerebral palsy. Because the condition is rooted in brain injury or malformation rather than in other parts of the body, it directly affects motor skills, posture, and muscle tone, all of which are governed by the brain’s functioning. In contrast, the other options pertain to areas that do not have a direct relationship with the pathology of cerebral palsy. The spine is involved in nerve signal transmission but is not the origin of the condition. The heart is related to circulatory issues and does not affect motor control directly, while the ears are involved in hearing and balance but do not contribute to the motor impairments characteristic of cerebral palsy.