Types of cerebral palsy

In the 1860s an English doctor, William Little, wrote about a condition of stiff legs and arms in children. This is the first documentation of cerebral (brain) palsy (muscle weakness). Today there is much more known about cerebral palsy (CP) and how to provide rehabilitation therapies to enhance function. Cerebral palsy includes issues of movement, posture, and muscle tone with onset before, during, or shortly after birth. However, there are distinct categories of metabolic (internal body functions) and genetic (inherited) disorders. Cerebral palsy can result in general mentation and physical dysfunction or isolated issues with gait, cognition, growth, or sensation. It is important to note that CP is not a progressive diagnosis. This means that the condition does not worsen over time. Most individuals with CP have normal to above average intellect. Life expectancy is the same for individuals with CP as for those without CP. The majority of individuals with CP have tone or spasticity. This occurs because the cell bodies of the upper motor neurons (the nerves that send movement messages from the brain to the body) are located in the brain. Since CP affects the brain, the upper motor neurons can become hyperactive, sending too many messages without relaxation through the nerves to the muscles resulting in tone or spasticity. There are four main types of cerebral palsy: Spastic Cerebral Palsy is increased muscle tone (spasticity). It affects the cerebral cortex of the brain wh...

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability among children and is typically caused by disturbance or damage to the brain occurring in utero or during infancy. This group of disorders affects muscle control, movement or posture. Although the range of physical impairments associated with this syndrome is quite broad, muscle spasticity is the most common movement difficulty experienced by children with CP. CP-related spasticity can interfere with function and contribute to contractures and boney deformities. In this Q&A, CP. Dr. Brandenburg is a pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and director of the Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida Clinic at Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester, Minnesota. What are the goals of spasticity treatment? Spasticity treatment goals can vary. These goals may include improved mobility, decreased pain, decreased muscle spasms, increased range of motion, improved fit of orthoses, improved hygiene, improved positioning and prevention of contractures. A well-planned treatment program may help patients delay or avoid the need for orthopedic surgery. And if orthopedic surgery is necessary, optimizing treatment for spasticity before surgery can help patients during post-surgical recovery. However, not all spasticity requires intervention. When and how are oral medications used to treat spasticity? Prior to talking about medications for spasticity, it is important to note that spasticity may not need a medication. Howe...

• Home • About Cerebral Palsy • What is Cerebral Palsy? • What Causes CP? • Types & Classifications • Signs & Symptoms • Diagnosis • Treatment • What to Expect • Facts & Statistics • FAQs • Glossary of Terms • Blog • Support • Resources • Free Books • Forum • Legal Help • Medical Malpractice • Should I File a Lawsuit? • How a Lawsuit Works • Do I Need a Lawyer? • Contact Cerebral palsy can be notoriously difficult to categorize due to the condition’s wide range of physical impairments, but it is generally classified using up to four determining factors: • Motor function • Body distribution • Muscle Tone • Severity Using these determinations, you can more accurately specify the child’s • • By Motor Function While there are many ways to classify cerebral palsy, in the broadest sense, there are four major types: spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed. Almost 80% of cerebral palsy cases are spastic. The muscles of a person with spastic cerebral palsy have increased muscle tone, meaning their muscles are stiff and can become permanently contracted. Trying to move with continually contracted muscles makes motion short and jerky. The brain of a person with spastic cerebral palsy can’t appropriately tell the muscle how much flexibility to have. Hence, the muscle dominates the signals sent to the spinal cord, and the muscles remain tense (or spastic). Read more about spastic cerebral palsy. Athetoid or Dyskinetic (also referred to as dystonic) cerebral palsy is characterized by unint...