Cerebal Palsey Guide

What are the cerebral palsy symptoms and signs? Symptoms are what a sufferer of cerebral palsey experiences, while signs are what a doctor can see in the patient.

In general, cerebral palsey symptoms differ from person to person. If you have been around people with cerebral palsey for awhile and have been observing them, you will notice that some sufferers have it very severe while others would not. There are some observable signs that you will commonly see in a person with cerebral palsey.

A person having mild cerebral palsey may feel only slight awkwardness and need no special help. Some others may need more help when doing simple tasks such as using a pair of scissors, or when attempting more complex tasks which need co-ordination such as maintaining balance when walking. In severe cases of cerebral palsey, the sufferer may experiences seizures and mental retardation, both of which require lifelong care.

People who have cerebral palsey exhibit common signs. Those who are able to walk, will tend to walk with their knees pointed inwards, and the knees cross when they walk (scissor walk). Others may look as though they were suspended in mid-air (reminiscent of a puppet on strings) contributing to abnormal gait (toe walk).

Generally, sufferers of cerebral palsey have abnormal muscle tone and co-ordination. If your child has cerebral palsey, be prepared as the symptoms may change as your child matures. Below are some of the symptoms associated with the most common forms of cerebral palsey:

• Spastic Cerebral Palsey Symptoms

The most common form. Muscles are stiff and permanently contracted. There are 5 subtypes, with the name of each subtype reflecting the type and number of limbs afffected:

• Diplegia spastic cerebral palsey – affects both arms or both legs. This is the most common of the spastic cerebral palsey. Usually little or no effect on the person’s intelligence
• Hemiplegia spastic cerebral palsey – affects one side only. If the left side of the brain is affected, then the right side of the limbs will exhibit some form of spasticity, and vice cersa. This is also known as hemiparesis. A person having hemiparesis may experience what is known as hemiparetic tremors – uncontrollable shaking of limbs on one side of the body. Such tremors can impair movement • The arm is generally more affected than the leg. Usual symptoms of hemiplegia spastic cerebral palsey include learning disabilities, problems with vision, seizures and the dysfunction of muscles of the mouth and tongue
• Quadriplegia spastic cerebral palsey – all four limbs are affected. Symptoms include seizures, dysfunction of muscles of the mouth and tongue, medical complications and increased risk for cognitive difficulties. The sufferer may also experience hemiparetic tremors
• Monoplegia spastic cerebral palsey– only one limb is affected. This form of spastic cerebral palsey is extremely rare.
• Triplegia spastic cerebral palsey – three limbs are affected. Also extremely rare form of spastic cerebral palsey.

• Athetoid (or dyskinetic) Cerebral Palsey Symptoms

Athetoid cerebral palsey occurs in about 25% of all cerebral palsey sufferers. This can be caused by damage to several parts of the brain including the basal ganglia. Symptoms of athetoid cerebral palsey include slow, uncontrolled, writhing movement of hand, feet, arm and leg (athetosis). Sufferers may experience difficulty getting their hand to a certain spot (e.g. in scratching their nose or reaching for a cup) or holding onto objects (e.g. toothbrush, pencil). Athetoid cerebral palsey sufferers also commonly exhibit symptoms of hearing loss. They may experience involuntary motions e.g. abrupt, irregular, jerky movements (chorea), a combination (choreoathetosis), or slow rhythmic movements with muscle tone abnormalities and abnormal postures (dystonia). Such involuntary movements may affect the muscles of their face and tongue, causing them to grimace and/or drool, and affects also the muscles that control speech causing dysarthria (abnormal pronunciation of speech).

• Ataxic Cerebral Palsey Symptoms

Ataxic cerebral palsey is caused by damage to the cerebellum. This affects a person’s sense of balance and depth perception. Sufferers of ataxic cerebral palsey have poor co-ordination, walk unsteadily usually placing their feet far apart. They have trouble with quick or precise movements (writing, typing or using scissors/button shirt). Some sufferers exhibit “intention” tremor, whereby reaching for an object sets off trembling in the limb, and tremor becomes more intense as person nears the target object. It is common to have visual or hearing problems.

• Mixed Cerebral Palsey Symptoms

Mixed cerebral palsey occurs when any 2 or more of the above types of cerebral palsey is observed in the sufferer. The most common combinations are athetodic-spastic-diplegic and athetoid-spastic-hemiplegic, while the least common combination is athetoid-ataxic. It is possible to have combination of all 3 (spastic-athetoid-ataxic).

You may also be interested in:

• Cerebral Palsy Symptoms
• Cerebral Palsey Overview
• Cerebal Palsey Overview
• Cerebral Palsy Prognosis
• How Do You Prevent Cerebral Palsy?
• Cerebral Palsy Surgery
• Medication for Cerebral Palsey
• Cerebral Palsey Treatment
• Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis
• Complications of Cerebral Palsey

Tags: Ataxic Cerebral Palsy | Athetoid Cerebral Palsy | cerebral palsey | Cerebral Palsy Symptom | Cerebral Palsy Symptoms | Mild Cerebral Palsy Symptoms | palsy symptoms | signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy | Signs of Cerebral Palsy | Spastic Cerebral Palsy | Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

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