While the central feature of cerebral palsy is a disorder with movement, difficulties with thinking, learning, feeling, communication and behavior often occur along with cerebral palsy.  Of those individuals with cerebral palsy, some have epilepsy, some have difficulties with communication, some have problems with vision and others have learning disabilities.  CP is characterized by abnormal muscle tone, reflexes or motor development and coordination.  There can be joint and bone deformities and permanently fixed, tight muscles and joints.  Classical symptoms are normally spasms, or other involuntary movements, unsteady gait, problems with balance and soft tissue findings consisting largely of decreased muscle mass.  "Scissor walking" (where the knees come in and cross) and "toe walking" are common among people with CP, who are able to walk.  The effects of cerebral palsy can range from slight clumsiness at the mild end of the spectrum to impairments so severe that they make movement almost impossible at the opposite end of the spectrum.

 

Babies born with severe CP often have irregular posture, resulting in their bodies being very loose or very stiff.  Birth defects such as spinal curvature, a small jawbone, or a small head sometimes occurs.  Symptoms may appear or change as a child gets older.  Some babies born with cerebral palsy do not show obvious signs or symptoms right away.  Normally, CP becomes more evident when the baby reaches the developmental stage around the ages of 6.5 to 9 months.  Resulting conditions can include seizures, epilepsy, apraxia, dysarthria or other communication disorders, eating problems, sensory impairments, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence and/or behavioral disorders.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Signs and Symptoms

Cerebral palsy (CP) refers to a condition caused by damage to the nervous system. Patients with CP often have some degree of physical disability, mainly affecting body movement.  There also may be issues with depth perception, communication ability and sensation.  CP is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain and can occur during pregnancy, childbirth or even later in childhood.

 

Cerebral palsy may be occasionally caused by genetic causes and in most cases are diagnosed at a young age.  Receiving care in newborns helps reduce the occurrence of cerebral palsy, as well as the survival rate of newborns with a low birth weight.  Unfortunately, there is no cure but physical and occupational therapy is known to help.  Cerebral comes from the word "cerebrum", which is the affected part of the brain in cerebral palsy.  This disorder often involves connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain, such as the cerebellum.  The word palsy comes from "paralysis" or problem.