Types of Cerebral Palsy
Ataxia is the least common form of cerebral palsy. Ataxia means 'without order' or 'incoordination'. Ataxic movements are characterised by clumsiness, imprecision, or instability.
Ataxic cerebral palsy is caused by damage to cerebellum in the child's brain. Children with this condition struggle with balance, coordination and walking. Children with this condition struggle with balance, coordination and walking.
This type of cerebral palsy is characterized by abnormal, involuntary movement. Children with athetoid CP fluctuate between hypertonia and hypotonia. Hypertonia is used to describe unusually high muscle tone, which creates stiffness and tension in the muscles.
Hypotonic cerebral palsy is a form of the disorder marked by floppy (overly relaxed) muscles; hypotonic CP is rarer than the spastic forms of the disorder. Get a Free Legal Evaluation Hypotonia means less muscle tone.
Spastic cerebral palsy limits movement due to muscle stiffness and spasms. It is the most common type of cerebral palsy.
Spastic cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor cortex and the pyramidal tracts of the brain, which connect the motor cortex to the spinal cord. Understanding the function of the motor cortex and pyramidal tracts helps to explain how damage to these systems affects movement in those with spastic CP.
Spastic cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder caused by damage to the brain before birth, during delivery, or within the first few years of life. This condition prevents the normal development of motor function. Spastic CP is characterized by jerky movements, muscle tightness and joint stiffness.