What is Cerebral Palsy?
The three types of Cerebral Palsy.
The Cortex ( front part of brain) controls thought, movement ans sensation. An abnormality can result in SPASTIC CEREBRAL PALSY.
SPASTIC CEREBRAL PALSY
Spastic means stiff. People with this kind of cerebral palsy find it very difficult to control some or all of their muscles, and often look stiff. Their muscles tend to be tight and weak, and they often hold their arms, legs or head in certain characteristic ways. Spastic Cerebral Palsy is usually caused when nerve cells in the outer layer of the brain called the 'Cortex' do not work properly.
Hemiplegia - is where either the left side or right half of the brain is affected by spastic cerebral palsy, but the other half functions normally.
Diplegia - is when both legs are affected but the arms are normal, or only slightly affected.
Quadraplegia - is where both legs and both arms are affected.
ATHETOID CEREBRAL PALSY
The Basal Ganglia (middle) helps movement become organised, graceful and economical. An abnormality can result in ATHETOID CEREBRAL PALSY.
People with this kind of cerebral palsy have muscles which change rapidly from floppy to tense. Their arms and legs move a lot, in way that they can't control.Their speech may be hard to understand because they have difficulty controlling their tongue, breathing and vocal cords.
Athetoid cerebral palsy is a result of the middle part of the brain, known as the basal ganglia, not working properly.
ATAXIC CEREBRAL PALSY
The Cerebellum (the top of the neck area) co-ordinates movement, posture and balance. An abnormality can result in ATAXIC CEREBRAL PALSY.
People with this kind of cerebral palsy find it very difficult to balance. If they learn to walk, they will probably be very unsteady. They are also likely to have shaky head movements and jerky speech.
Ataxic cerebral palsy is a result of the cerebellum at the base of the brain, not working properly.
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