Cerebral Palsy
Created | Updated Apr 27, 2006
Types of Cerebral Palsy
Spastic: This type is caused by damage to the cortex (outer layer) of the brain. This is the most common type, and caused difficulties with muscle tone, going from tense to weak. This causes tightness in the muscles, which in turn causes difficult and awkward movements. This then leads to tiredness and fatigue.
Athetoid: Also known as Dyskinetic. This is caused by damage to the basal ganglia area of the brain. Those with this type get involentary movements, and often the whole body is involved.Muscles will be floppy one moment, then tense the next. Those with this type have full movement in their bodies, but are unable to control their movements and speech is nearly always affected.
Ataxic: Ataxia is relatively rare, with about 10% being affected. This is caused by damage to the cerebellum, which is in the base of the brain. The cerebellum co-ordinates the actions of groups of muscles and controls balance. This type often creates poor balance,unsteadiness and staggering when walking, and also causes shakes (tremors) when attempting to do some tasks.
No two people have exactly the same type, it is as unique as the person themselves. Although someone is diagnosed with a certain type, they may have characteristics from the other types.
I have Spastic Cerebral Palsy, but I also have the tremors commonly associated with Ataxic. If there are a lot of charactristics from more than one type, a diagnosis of 'mixed CP' is given.
Effect: There are terms to describe how the body is affected.
Diplegia: The legs are affected more than the arms, or sometimes arms are not affected at all.
Quadriplegia/tetraplegia: All four limbs are affected, usually with the trunk and neck
Hemiplegia: One side is affected
Occasionally, two other terms are used,
Monoplegia: one limb is affected
Triplegia: three limbs are affected, typically both legs and one arm
So Why?
Why do people have CP? What causes it?
As I've already said, it was most likely causes by a lack of oxygen or a small brain haemorhage. Nowadays, a lot of emphasis is placed on the whys and hows, and some parents sue hospitals when their children have been born with CP.
Sometimes no reason can be pinpointed, sometimes there are multiple factors, but according to Scope's website - http://www.scope.org.uk - CP is due mostly to factors affecting the brain before birth.
Usually CP is the result of mutiple abnormalities to the brain, before foetal growth and development is complete. Some of the factors associated with CP include: -
Low birthweight
Mutiple birth (more common if one sibling died)
Lack of Oxygen (asphyxia)
Infection
Cerebral Bleed
Possible causes also include:-
Infection in the early stages of pregnancy
Infection or accident in the early years of a child's life
Abnormal brain development
There may also be a genetic link, but this is EXTREMELY rare.
Spastic: This type is caused by damage to the cortex (outer layer) of the brain. This is the most common type, and caused difficulties with muscle tone, going from tense to weak. This causes tightness in the muscles, which in turn causes difficult and awkward movements. This then leads to tiredness and fatigue.
Athetoid: Also known as Dyskinetic. This is caused by damage to the basal ganglia area of the brain. Those with this type get involentary movements, and often the whole body is involved.Muscles will be floppy one moment, then tense the next. Those with this type have full movement in their bodies, but are unable to control their movements and speech is nearly always affected.
Ataxic: Ataxia is relatively rare, with about 10% being affected. This is caused by damage to the cerebellum, which is in the base of the brain. The cerebellum co-ordinates the actions of groups of muscles and controls balance. This type often creates poor balance,unsteadiness and staggering when walking, and also causes shakes (tremors) when attempting to do some tasks.
No two people have exactly the same type, it is as unique as the person themselves. Although someone is diagnosed with a certain type, they may have characteristics from the other types.
I have Spastic Cerebral Palsy, but I also have the tremors commonly associated with Ataxic. If there are a lot of charactristics from more than one type, a diagnosis of 'mixed CP' is given.
Effect: There are terms to describe how the body is affected.
Diplegia: The legs are affected more than the arms, or sometimes arms are not affected at all.
Quadriplegia/tetraplegia: All four limbs are affected, usually with the trunk and neck
Hemiplegia: One side is affected
Occasionally, two other terms are used,
Monoplegia: one limb is affected
Triplegia: three limbs are affected, typically both legs and one arm
So Why?
Why do people have CP? What causes it?
As I've already said, it was most likely causes by a lack of oxygen or a small brain haemorhage. Nowadays, a lot of emphasis is placed on the whys and hows, and some parents sue hospitals when their children have been born with CP.
Sometimes no reason can be pinpointed, sometimes there are multiple factors, but according to Scope's website - http://www.scope.org.uk - CP is due mostly to factors affecting the brain before birth.
Usually CP is the result of mutiple abnormalities to the brain, before foetal growth and development is complete. Some of the factors associated with CP include: -
Low birthweight
Mutiple birth (more common if one sibling died)
Lack of Oxygen (asphyxia)
Infection
Cerebral Bleed
Possible causes also include:-
Infection in the early stages of pregnancy
Infection or accident in the early years of a child's life
Abnormal brain development
There may also be a genetic link, but this is EXTREMELY rare.
