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Cerebral Palsy

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Spastic Cerebral Palsy is the most common type of Cerebral Palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy affects 70 to 80% of people with cerebral palsy. With spastic Cerebral Palsy, the area of the brain controlling movement is affected. Spasticity means stiffness or tightness of muscles. The muscles are stiff because the message to the muscles is relayed incorrectly through the damaged part of the brain. When people without cerebral palsy perform a movement, some group of muscles become tighter and some groups of muscles relax. In children with spastic cerebral palsy, both groups of muscles may become tighter; this makes the movement difficult.

Cerebral Palsy, particularly spastic Cerebral Palsy, is also classified according to the number of limbs involved. One side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body so that when one side of the brain is affected, the other side of the body is weak.

The term "plegia" is commonly used. For example,

Monoplegia - involvement of one limb
Diplegia - involvement of two limbs
Hemiplegia - involvement of limbs on one side of the body
Quadriplegia - involvement of all of the limbs

These technical terms can be useful in describing the type and extent of Cerebral Palsy. However, they are only labels - the important thing is that a child is an individual and his/her needs are special.

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