Type of Cerebral Palsy
What Does It Mean?
The type of cerebral palsy a child is diagnosed with is determined by the extent, type, and location of the child's abnormalities. Doctors classify cerebral palsy according to the type of movement disorder involved, such as
spastic cerebral palsy
(stiff muscles),
athetoid cerebral palsy
(writhing movements), or
ataxic cerebral palsy
(poor balance and coordination), plus any additional symptoms.
Doctors will also often describe the cerebral palsy a child has based on which limbs are affected. The names of the most common forms of cerebral palsy typically include Latin words for weakened (paresis) or paralyzed (plegia).
For example, hemiparesis (hemi, meaning half) indicates that half or one side of the body is weakened. Quadriplegia (quad, meaning four) indicates all four limbs are paralyzed.
Mixed Cerebral Palsy
It is common for children to have symptoms that don't correspond to any single type of cerebral palsy. Their symptoms are a mix of types. For example, a child with mixed cerebral palsy may have some muscles that are too tight and others that are too relaxed, creating a mix of stiffness and floppiness.
Approximately 30% of all cerebral palsy cases find the
spastic form
along with one of the other types.
Specific Types of Cerebral Palsy
Your child may have received a specific
cerebral palsy diagnosis.
Following are the most common types. For more information about each, please click on the appropriate link:
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
Athetoid Cerebral Palsy
Hypertonic Cerebral Palsy
Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy
Mild Cerebral Palsy
Partial Cerebral Palsy
Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy
Spastic Hemiplegia Cerebral Palsy
Spastic Quadraplegic Cerebral Palsy
Regardless of the type of cerebral palsy your child has been diagnosed with, the question is how to help him or her improve.
There is hope for your child.
To learn more about Cerebral Palsy, please investigate the following links:
Click here for Cerebral Palsy Guide
Click here for Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis
Click here for Cerebral Palsy Causes
Click here for Cerebral Palsy Symptoms
Click here for Cerebral Palsy Prognosis
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