Types of Cerebral Palsy

The term "cerebral palsy" refers to a group of conditions that occur as a result of brain damage, generally at birth. CP is characterized by movement and postural disorders of varying degrees of severity that occur as a result of damage to specific parts of the brain. In addition to problems with movement, motor skills and muscle tone, children with CP frequently present with other health difficulties including impaired vision, hearing and speech problems and learning disabilities. The diagnosis of CP is most often made at birth, but in some cases symptoms are not evident until the age of two or three when a child's developmental delays become more obvious.

There are three primary categories of CP, each with several variations of the disease. These categories are reflective of the way in which the disability affects the body. The three types are: spastic, athetoid and ataxic. Spastic CP causes severe muscle stiffness, weakness and difficulty moving. Athetoid CP is characterized by involuntary movements such as spasms, shaking and jerking movements that make controlled motor activity very difficult. People who have ataxic CP have great difficulty with depth perception and balance, which affects their ability to walk and engage in other voluntary motor activity. The term "mixed CP," sometimes used as a fourth category, consists of any combination of symptoms from the other three categories.

The exact cause of a CP is not always known. There are certain conditions that correlate strongly with an increased incidence of CP. Premature birth is one such condition. Infants of very low birth weight, specifically 3.3 pounds or less, are far more likely to be diagnosed with CP, as are children of multiple births (triplets or more). In some cases, CP occurs as a result of brain damage caused by poisoning, injury or diseases that affect the brain such as spinal meningitis. Lack of oxygen before or during birth is one of the most often cited causes of cerebral palsy.

Treatment for CP is personalized, based on the specific symptoms of the individual. Thus, a person who is experiencing spastic CP may have a different course of treatment than an individual who has only ataxic symptoms. The vast majority of children with CP participate in some form of physical therapy (PT). Physical therapists use a variety of methods to work on increasing strength and balance, decreasing muscular stiffness and teaching skills and exercises for improved muscle control. Occupational therapists are often consulted to help patients work on fine motor skills that involve hand use, such as eating, dressing and picking up items. Either of these two types of therapists can also recommend specific assistive devices to help the patient complete tasks as independently as possible. One example of an assistive device is specially designed silverware that is easier to grip. Some patients also take medications to decrease muscular rigidity and to control the seizures that are often associated with CP. Additional specialists, including speech and language pathologists, ophthalmologists and orthopedic surgeons may be involved as members of the patient's medical team.

Cerebral palsy is not a disease, as many people believe. Rather, it is a condition that has varying causes and is in no way communicable to others. CP is not genetic and cannot be 'passed' through a family. There are many myths about the condition and the people who have to live with it everyday. Many people believe that all people with CP are mentally disabled, which is generally not the case. While some individuals with CP do have intellectual disabilities, the majority do not. Another commonly held belief is that individuals with CP have a drastically shortened lifespan. This is not true in most cases, although some CP patients also have other medical problems (possibly as a result of birth injury or premature birth) that can shorten life expectancy.