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Developmental Disabilities |
About Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders that affect a person's
ability to move and to maintain balance and posture. It is due to a
nonprogressive brain abnormality, which means that it does not get worse
over time, though the exact symptoms can change over a person's
lifetime.
People with cerebral palsy
have damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle
tone. Muscle tone is the amount of resistance to movement in
a muscle. It is what lets you keep your body in a certain
posture or position.
For example, it lets you sit up straight
and keep your head up. Changes in muscle tone let you move. For example,
to bring your hand to your face, the tone in your biceps muscle at the
front of your arm must increase while the tone in the triceps muscle at
the back of your arm must decrease. The tone in different muscle groups
must be balanced for you to move smoothly.
There are four main types of cerebral
palsy - spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed.
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Spastic: People with spastic cerebral
palsy have increased muscle tone. Their muscles are stiff. Their
movements can be awkward. Seventy to eighty percent of people with
cerebral palsy have spasticity. Spastic cerebral palsy is usually
described further by what parts of the body are affected. In spastic
diplegia, the main effect is found in both legs. In spastic hemiplegia,
one side of the person's body is affected. Spastic quadriplegia affects
a person's whole body (face, trunk, legs, and arms).
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Athetoid or dyskinetic: People with
athetoid cerebral palsy have slow, writhing movements that they cannot
control. The movements usually affect a person's hands, arms, feet, and
legs. Sometimes the face and tongue are affected and the person has a
hard time talking. Muscle tone can change from day to day and can vary
even during a single day. Ten to twenty percent of people with cerebral
palsy have the athetoid form of the condition.
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Ataxic: People with ataxic cerebral
palsy have problems with balance and depth perception. They might be
unsteady when they walk. They might have a hard time with quick
movements or movements that need a lot of control, like writing. They
might have a hard time controlling their hands or arms when they reach
for something. People with ataxic cerebral palsy can have increased or
decreased muscle tone. Five to ten percent of people with cerebral palsy
have ataxia.
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Mixed: Some people have more than one
type of cerebral palsy. The most common pattern is spasticity plus
athetoid movements.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy vary from
person to person. Symptoms can also change over time. A person with
severe cerebral palsy might not be able to walk and might need lifelong
care. A person with mild cerebral palsy, on the other hand, might walk a
little awkwardly, but might not need any special help.
People with cerebral palsy can have other
disabilities as well. Examples of these conditions include seizure
disorders, vision impairment, hearing loss, and mental retardation. [Read
more about developmental disabilities]
References:
Batshaw ML. Children with disabilities
(4th edition). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.; 1997.
Geralis E (Editor). Children with cerebral
palsy: a parents' guide. Rockville, MD: Woodbine House; 1991.
National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke.
Cerebral palsy: hope through research.
Date: October 29, 2004
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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