What Is Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a condition in which the nervous system does not work effectively and results in difficulty with movement or mental capability. Spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy is a form of the condition that affects limb movement.

Symptoms

• The main symptoms of spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy are weakened or rigid movements of the arms and legs with a limp neck, which makes walking difficult, reports the National Institute of Neurological Disorders. Other symptoms include mental retardation, difficulty speaking or seizures.

Time Frame

• The condition normally develops before birth, according to the United States National Library of Medicine, but the symptoms may not become apparent until the child reaches approximately two years old.

Causes

• Spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy is due to brain damage before birth. The damage can be caused by injury or lack of oxygen while in the uterus.

Treatment

• No cure exists for any form of cerebral palsy. Physical therapy may be performed to help learn to move with the stiffened limbs caused by spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, while speech therapy may be implemented to make speaking easier, reports the University of Virginia Health System.

Significance

• People with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy may develop at a slower rate than normal. They are also at a higher risk of having strabismus, an eye disorder in which the eyes face different directions, or total vision loss, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders.