About Cerebral Palsy

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood, affecting between two and four out of every thousand children born. The prevalence of CP is higher among children born either premature or at low birthweight (under 5.5 pounds or 2.5 kilograms).

Cerebral means of or relating to the brain, whereas palsy relates to muscle weakness or debilitation. People with CP experience varying degrees of an inability to control their muscles and commonly suffer from involuntary movements and spasticity. CP is a neurological disorder caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain.

The symptoms of CP vary from person to person and depend on the location of brain damage as well as the severity of damage. Symptoms include:

  • Abnormal perception or sensation

  • Seizures or spasms

  • Mobility difficulties, including partial or complete paralysis

  • Problems with vision, hearing, or speech

  • Involuntary movements

  • Intellectual challenges

CP is classified according to the main type of movement disorder involved. Depending on which areas of the brain are affected, one or more of the following movement disorders can occur:

  • Stiff muscles (spasticity)

  • Uncontrollable movements (dyskinesia)

  • Poor balance and coordination (ataxia)

 There are four main types of CP:

  • Spastic Cerebral Palsy: Roughly 4 in 5 CP cases fall into this category. People with spastic CP have increased muscle tone. This means that their muscles are stiff and as a result, their movements can be rigid or jerky. Spastic CP usually is further described by the parts of the body that are affected.

  • Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (also includes athetoid, choreoathetoid, and dystonic cerebral palsies): People with dyskinetic CP have problems controlling the movement of their limbs, making it difficult to sit and walk. The movements are uncontrollable and can be slow and wriggly or rapid and jerky. Their muscle tone can change from day-to-day, varying from being too tight to too loose.

  • Ataxic Cerebral Palsy: People with ataxic CP have problems with balance and coordination and experience unsteadiness when they walk. They often experience challenges with quick movements or movements requiring a lot of control, like writing.

  • Mixed Cerebral Palsy: Some people have symptoms of more than one type of CP. The most common type of mixed CP is spastic-dyskinetic CP.