About Cerebral Palsy and its Classification

Cerebral palsy is found in the infants, it is a sort of permanent disorder of the development of movement and posture. It leads the activity limitation to non-progressive motor system i.e. physical disability in the various areas of body movement. It is found that this disorder generally takes place during pregnancy when the child is in womb, but can occur at the time of birth or after birth i.e. up to the age of 3 years. Although the medication of or medical intervention is limited in the case of cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy’s is due to the damage of brain areas and is majorly classified into four types as per the areas damaged and the different movement impairment they are causing.

The most common cerebral palsy is Spastic cerebral palsy, it is occurring in 70% to 80% of cases. In this, the motor cortex or the corticospinal tract cord is damaged and leads to the neuromuscular condition i.e. affecting the nervous system ability. Further the spastic cerebral palsy is classified into four types : first is the Spastic Hemiplegia and it is when one side of the body is heavily affected, then second is the Spastic diplegia , it is one of the most common of the four types of Spastic cerebral palsy in which flexed knees and hips to varying degree are common. Then is spastic tetraplegia in which all the four limbs affected equally. Another is Spastic Quadriplegia in which they are least likely to be able to walk because the muscles are too tight and it is hard to move.

The second classification of cerebral palsy is under the heading Ataxic although it is less common but in it the individual experiences hypotonia and tremors. Motor skills are affected and at the same time, balance is difficult to maintain while walking. It also may lead to difficulty in visual and auditory processing

The third classification of Cerebral palsy is Athetoid. In this, people mostly show involuntary movements as they face trouble in keeping a position they may not be able to hold the objects. It is quite common cerebral palsy and is found in almost quarter of the total cases. They also encounter trouble in upholding their body especially in steady position of walking or for sitting. In it, the major damage is caused to the pyramidal tract and to the basal ganglia. It occurs in 10% to 20% of the cases.

The fourth classification of cerebral palsy is Hypotonic in which individual appears to be bendy and limb. They can only move a little or cannot move at all. If on a whole seen it is found that in most of the cerebral palsy forms the individual has abnormal muscle tone, reflexes or motor development or coordination. It is also found that cerebral palsy is quite common among the women as compared to men as in total there are two out of 1000 live birth with cerebral palsy.

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