Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a physical condition caused by damage to the brain. This type of brain damage can occur in a number of different ways and often the cause is unclear. Most often the damage occurs during pregnancy, but can also result from problems during labor or newborn illnesses. Additionally, if a young child is involved in an accident that results in prolonged oxygen deprivation, cerebral palsy can occur.

The type of brain damage associated with cerebral palsy causes problems with body movement and muscle coordination. The extent of these problems can vary widely from person to person. There are categories used to describe what parts of the body are affected: hemiplegia, diplegia and quadriplegia. Hemiplegia refers to only one side of the body being affected, diplegia involves primarily both legs and quadriplegia indicates that all four limbs experience difficulty. Depending on the extent of the damage, some muscles of the trunk and head may also be involved.

There are three main types of cerebral palsy, and they are defined by how a person's muscle movement is affected. Spastic cerebral palsy means that the muscles are stiff or tight. This type is the most common, affecting 70-80% of people diagnosed with the disorder. The second type is dyskinetic cerebral palsy and affects 10-20%. It is further broken down in to two sub-categories, athetosis and dystonia. The muscle movement of athetosis is distinguished by being slow and writhing, while dystonia causes sustained movements resulting in twisting and repetition. The last type is ataxic cerebral palsy. It is defined by shaky movements as it cause problems with muscle coordination. It is the rarest form and only represents 5-10% of those with cerebral palsy. It is not uncommon for an individual with cerebral palsy to exhibit characteristics of more than one type.

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