What are the types of cerebral palsy?
What are the types of cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy is classified in two ways – what parts of the body are most affected, and what movement disorder is most prominent.
There are four types of movement disorders of cerebral palsy. They result from damage to different areas of the brain.
The types of cerebral palsy are:
- Spastic cerebral palsy: Around 75% of people with CP have spastic cerebral palsy. People with spastic CP have stiff, tight muscles that contract uncontrollably. Their movements, including walking and talking, may appear jerky due to muscle spasticity (stiffness).
- Dyskinetic cerebral palsy: Also known as athetoid cerebral palsy, this type of CP causes irregular movements in the limbs, face and tongue. The motions may be smooth and slow or quick and jerky. The person may look like they’re writhing or twisting. The movements are more severe when the person is active. People with dyskinetic CP often have trouble swallowing their saliva, so they may drool.
- Ataxic cerebral palsy: This type of CP causes problems with depth perception, coordination and balance. It may be hard for them to stand or walk without swaying or falling. Kids with this type of CP often walk with their feet spread apart. They may look like they’re shaking when they move.
- Mixed types: Damage to more than one area of the brain can cause several symptoms at once. A person with mixed CP has a combination of symptoms of spastic, dyskinetic and ataxic cerebral palsy.
The areas of the body that cerebral palsy may affect:
- All four extremities (quadriplegia).
- Only the legs (diplegia).
- Extremities on one side of the body (hemiplegia).