Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders of the brain that impacts muscle tone and body movements. Doing common activities, such as walking or eating, can be challenging for individuals with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy develops during pregnancy, at birth or early childhood. About 800,000 people have cerebral palsy in the United States, according to United Cerebral Palsy.
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
Ataxic cerebral palsy is characterized by difficulty with coordination of body movements, balance and depth perception. Individuals with cerebral palsy may have an increase or decrease in muscle tone. Movements that are quick or need much control may be difficult to do. People with ataxic cerebral palsy may seem shaky when walking. Writing or reaching for things may be difficult. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5 to 10 percent of people with cerebral palsy have the ataxic type.
Athetoid Cerebral Palsy
Individuals with athetoid cerebral palsy usually have difficulty controlling their body movements. Unintentional movements of the body may also occur. The movements are typically in the arms, hands, arms, legs and feet. In some cases of athetoid cerebral palsy, the face and tongue are affected, making talking difficult. Muscle tone may increase or decrease on a daily basis. Of those with cerebral palsy, 10 to 20 percent have the athetoid type, according to the CDC.
Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Having difficulty with moving the body or having stiff body movements are characteristic of spastic cerebral palsy. Individuals with the spastic type of cerebral palsy have increased muscle tone. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form of the condition, affecting 70 to 80 percent of people with cerebral palsy, as documented by the CDC. Affected areas of the body are usually included in the description of spastic cerebral palsy. For example, if one side of the body is affected, the person has spastic hemiplegia. The arm and leg are often shorter and more slender on the affected side. Spastic diplegia mean that both sides of the body are affected. People with spastic diplegia may need leg braces or a walker. The most severe form of spastic cerebral palsy is the spastic quadriplegia type, as the whole body is affected. In spastic cerebral palsy, the brain has pervasive damage or considerable malformations. Individuals with spastic quadriplegia are usually unable to walk, have difficulty speaking, and may have moderate-to-severe mental retardation.
Mixed
Sometimes people have a mix of cerebral palsy symptoms that do not fit nicely into the main types. The most common combination is spastic and athetoid cerebral palsy, according to the CDC.
References
- "Cerebral Palsy Fact Sheet"; United Cerebral Palsy; 2007.
- "About Cerebral Palsy"; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; October 2004.
