Fact Sheet on Cerebral Palsy

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, cerebral palsy is a condition affecting physical movement and coordination caused by abnormalities in the brain.

Features

• Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition affecting muscle control. The disability causes difficulties with walking, eating, speaking, bowel control and other voluntary physical movements. Individuals with cerebral palsy might be dependent upon others for lifelong care or mainstream into society with very little treatment.

Considerations

• Individuals diagnosed with cerebral palsy are typically born with the condition, although its symptoms might not be recognized for several years. Rarely, cerebral palsy can be caused by physically traumatic incidents in childhood.

Types

• There are four classifications of cerebral palsy: spastic, athetoid diskinetic, ataxic and mixed. Spastic and ataxic cerebral palsy are disorders affecting muscle control and movement, while athetoid diskinetic cerebral palsy is identified by difficulties with coordination.

Treatment

• Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition and there is no cure. But improvements can be seen with the addition of speech and physical therapy, surgical interventions and assistive devices such as braces.

Significance

• More than 800,000 Americans have cerebral palsy, according to United Cerebral Palsy. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention believes approximately 10,000 infants each year will be affected by cerebral palsy.