Types of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder that appear in infancy or early childhood. The majority of children with cerebral palsy are born with it, although it may not be detected until months or years later. Even though cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it is not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves, it is caused by abnormalities in the area of the brain that control muscle movement. The speech and hearing are also affected and the patient may also be mentally retarded.

Cerebral palsy can often be diagnosed when the baby reaches 18months. The early signs are a lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements. For example, if a child does not sit or walk by the time most kids should already be doing these.

Each type of cerebral palsy is caused by damage to a different area of the brain.

• Damage to the motor regions of the cerebral cortex will result in the spastic type.
• Damage to the basal ganglia (special masses of gray matter at the base of the brain) produces the athetoid type.
• Ataxic types are caused by damage to the cerebellum.
• Difficulties in speech, hearing, or vision are usually due to damage of the brain centers governing these functions.
• When areas of the cerebral cortex concerned with intelligence and other higher functions are affected, mental retardation may occur.

Types of Cerebral Palsy: Some patients have a combination of two or more types of CP depending on the area and degree of brain involvement.

• Spastic type - in this typethe muscles are under a continuous state of tension, with increased reflex activity. Over half of all patient affected exhibit at least a partial spastic CP.
• Athetoid type - this type is characterized by disorganized spontaneous muscular movements, extremities move involuntarily in many different directions. About 40% of all patients have the athetoid type.
• Ataxic form - inthis form the patient experiences trembling of one or more of the extremities. Patients may fall often and cannot move without assistance. Ataxic form occurs in relatively few patients.

The different forms of cerebral palsy are divided into four groups on the basis of the extremities involved.

• Monoplegia - there is only one limb affected.
• Hemiplegia - there is involvement of an arm and a leg on the same side of the body.
• Diplegia or paraplegia - either both arms or both legs are involved.
• Quadriplegia - all four limbs are affected.