During CP Awareness Week 2008, Cerebral Palsy Tasmania together with project partner Menzies Research Institute are calling on participants to get involved with the Tasmanian Cerebral Palsy Register.

During CP Awareness Week 2008, Cerebral Palsy Tasmania together with project partner Menzies Research Institute are calling on participants to get involved with the Tasmanian Cerebral Palsy Register. 

Cerebral Palsy Tasmania's CEO, Kevin Kreiner said the Cerebral Palsy (CP) Register is a collection of statistics and information about people with cerebral palsy who live in Tasmania. 

"The CP Register was created to gather information that will guide research in causes, prevention, effective treatment and service provision.  The Tasmanian CP Register works in conjunction with other state cerebral palsy registers and the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register, to create a comprehensive Australia-wide register for people with cerebral palsy," he said.

"For people currently living with CP, we anticipate the register will supply accurate statistics to government for funding, facilitate more research, and improve the quality of current research into CP," Mr Kreiner said.

Associate Professor Alison Venn, who is supervising the operation of the CP Register at the Menzies Research Institute, said one of the major aims of the register is to help researchers to identify the causes of cerebral palsy.

"The register is extremely important in enabling us to determine how the incidence of cerebral palsy changes over time in Tasmania.  It also allows us to better understand any trends in the type and severity of cerebral palsy, and to advance our knowledge of the multitude of factors that appear to increase the risk of cerebral palsy," Associate Professor Venn said.

"In order to get the best quality data, we need as many people with CP to volunteer their details with the CP Register as possible.  We are particularly interested in children aged 5 and under, but welcome the involvement of all people with CP in Tasmania" Mr Kreiner said.  "It is appropriate that we make this call for participants during National CP Awareness Week, a week that celebrates the abilities and achievements of people with CP, and the organisations that support them," he said 

"The success of the Register relies on those living in Tasmania with CP becoming involved.  If you have CP or are the parent or carer of someone with CP you can help.  Contact the CP Register for more information or to find out how to register," said Julie Bunyard, CP Register Project Officer.  "Phone 03 6226 4717 or email tascpregister@menzies.utas.edu.au to speak to a staff member about getting involved" she said.

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