Cerebral Palsy Definition

Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a collection of disorders caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the brain that occurs around the time of birth or early in life.
Cerebral palsy causes problems with muscle tone, movement, balance and/or coordination. Symptoms and effects range from mild to severe. In some infants, problems are evident soon after birth. In others, diagnosis comes in later infancy or toddlerhood.

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Cerebral Palsy Types

There are many ways to classify cerebral palsy. When describing the type of movement impairment, providers often talk about spastic and mixed cerebral palsy.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Spastic cerebral palsy is characterized by increased muscle tone. Muscles are unusually tight and stiff, which affects movement and growth. Spastic cerebral palsy is often associated with damage to or developmental differences in the part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. Spastic cerebral palsy encompasses approximately 80 percent of all cases of cerebral palsy.
There are three main types of spastic cerebral palsy—each affecting different areas of the body:

• Diplegia affects the legs more than the arms. This type of cerebral palsy is most common in premature babies.
• Hemiplegia affects one side of the body. This type of cerebral palsy is most common in babies who’ve experienced strokes or traumatic brain injuries.
• Quadriplegia affects the entire body—the legs and the arms. This type of cerebral palsy is most common in babies who experience a lack of oxygen.

Mixed Presentation

Mixed cerebral palsy describes people who experience features of both spastic and dyskinetic cerebral palsy. This type of cerebral palsy is associated with damage to multiple areas of the brain.