Cerebral Palsy Disorder Classification - Cerebral Palsy Awareness

Cerebral palsy is a brain disease causing paralysis. It refers damage brain part named as cerebellum which controls the fine motor skills for example writing or typing. Cerebral palsy has a variety of issues depends on the different part of the brain affected. In Neurodevelopment disease, something happens during the development of sensitive area or time. Cerebral palsy affected child in two different ways first is prenatal cerebral palsy (before birth) in which radiation, infection, hypoxia (lack of oxygen) etc. become main causes of cerebral palsy. Second is postnatal (after birth) in which head trauma, infection, hypoxia and radiation also become the main cause of cerebral palsy. But, most of the time head injury or head trauma are a main cause of CP. There are few other causes of cerebral palsy which we will discuss later. 

Classification of cerebral palsy depending upon the muscles moving. In this classification, spastic cerebral palsy is a most common type of cerebral palsy in which 70% to 80% child affected by spastic. In this condition, muscles become tight and stiff and hypertonia. Hypertonia made with the combination of two words like hyper which refers to abnormal increase and tonia refers to muscle activity. That is the main reason for some people with spastic cerebral palsy have a scissor gait. 

The second classification of cerebral palsy is Dyskinetic cerebral palsy, it is also athetoid cerebral palsy. It involves the injury of basal ganglia. The basal ganglia are this structure here which essentially helps us initiate and prevent certain movements. So, it is characterized by dystonia and/or chorea. Dystonia is random, slow and uncontrolled movements in the limbs and trunk. Chorea is random "dance like" movements since the small uncontrolled movement seems to move from muscle to muscle. 

Ataxic cerebral palsy refers to the shaky or uncoordinated movement of muscles. Patients often experience pain from tightened muscles or abnormal posture or stiff joints. Also, abnormal movements might make it difficult to sleep at night and patients can develop sleep disorders. Eating can become difficult as well which can range from the preparation of food to the action of chewing and swallowing food. Since cerebral palsy involves a permanent abnormality to the brain's structure. It is not curable but that doesn't mean it's not treatable. Treatment of cerebral palsy usually involves a multidisciplinary approach, pulling from a number of clinical specialties like neurologists, rehabilitation specialists, occupational therapist.