| Cerebral Palsy or CP (sometimes referred as cerebral | | | | - spastic diplegia where lower extremities are |
| pares) is a term used to describe a number of | | | | affected. |
| permanent disorders of the development of | | | | - spastic tetraplegia where all four limbs are affected |
| movement and posture that are non-progressive and | | | | equally. |
| non-contagious. CP causes activity limitation due to | | | | 2. Ataxic |
| non-progressive disturbances that happened during | | | | Ataxic type occurs when cerebellum gets damaged. |
| pregnancy or infancy on human brain. The name | | | | This form of CP occurs in only 10% of all cases. |
| comes from the cerebrum, which is the affected | | | | People with ataxic CP sometimes experience tremors |
| part of the brain, and palsy, which refers to the | | | | and hypotonia (disorder that causes low muscle tone; |
| movement disorder. | | | | result is often reduced muscle strength). Writing, |
| CP is caused by damage to the motor control | | | | typing and other motor skills are usually affected, as |
| centers of the developing brain. It can occur during | | | | well as balance while walking. |
| pregnancy (about 75% of all cases), during childbirth | | | | 3. Athetoid/Dyskinetic |
| (about 5% of all cases) or after birth (about 15% of | | | | Athetoid or dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy occurs in |
| all cases) up to about age three. Cerebral palsy is | | | | 10%-20% of all cases, and is manifests as mixed |
| divided into three major classifications showing | | | | muscle tone. Individuals with athetoid/dyskinetic CP |
| different movement difficulties. They are: | | | | have trouble holding themselves up for sitting |
| 1. Spastic | | | | walking, while some show involuntary motion. They |
| Spastic Cerebral Palsy is the most common type of | | | | often need significant concentration in order to get |
| CP, occurring in about 70%-80% of all cases. People | | | | their hand to certain position. |
| affected with this type of CP are hyper-tonic (upper | | | | While most research and books deal with infants and |
| motor neuron dysfunction, causing muscle stiffness) | | | | or children affected by cerebral palsy, there is a |
| and have a neuromuscular condition stemming from | | | | growing need to address adults who suffer from CP. |
| damage to the corticospinal tract or the motor | | | | This condition has no known cure. Fortunately, there |
| cortex that affects the nervous system's ability to | | | | are many treatment options which can help individuals |
| receive gamma amino-butyric acid in the area(s) | | | | affected by CP, as well as their families, deal with |
| affected by the disability. | | | | this condition and help them lead healthy and fulfilling |
| Spastic CP can be further divided into: | | | | lives. |
| - spastic hemiplegia where only one side is affected. | | | | |