Kids who have cerebral palsy often have stiff muscles that sporadically contract, and over-react to stimulation. Gaining any additional control over muscle movement is seen a significant improvement -- and, according to a recent study, that's just what Botox might be able to provide.

Technically, this is old news, with the first reports of Botox's success in treating kids with cerebral palsy published in 1993. However, that initial report, and the many that followed, had difficulty determining just how much the drug was helping patients. But in the most-recent study, researchers were able to accurately measure the positive effects of Botox -- finding that worked to treat the physiologic and mechanical effects of cerebral palsy in a "genuine and measurable" way.

While this is certainly exciting news for those effected by the condition, researchers also note that the effects may not be dramatic enough to be perceived by patients and their families -- so they caution that patients' expectations should be managed accordingly.