Cerebral palsy is a disorder of muscle movement and coordination caused by injury to the brain before or during infancy. It affects the part of the brain controlling body movement. Symptoms vary from mild awkwardness to virtually no muscle control and can include muscle tightness, involuntary movements, and difficulties with gross and fine motor skills. While there is no cure, early treatment including physical, occupational and speech therapy can help build strength and function. The goal is to help those with CP live as independently as possible.

1. Cerebral Palsy
By
Dr. Rima Jani (PT)
MPT Pediatric Science
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2. What is Cerebral Palsy?
 Group of disorders affecting body
movement and muscular disorders.
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Cerebral Palsy

3. INTRODUCTION
 Cerebral palsy(CP) is a disorder of muscle
movement & coordination, caused by an
injury to child’s brain that occurs before
birth or during infancy
 It affects the part of the brain that controls
body movement.
 People with cerebral palsy can have other
problems such as seizures, decreased
ability to learn, problems in hearing, vision
& thought processing.
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Cerebral Palsy

4. What are the symptoms of CP?
 CP interferes with messages b/n
brain and body
 Effects vary with individual
 Mildest: slight awkwardness
 Severest: Virtually no muscle
control
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Cerebral Palsy

5. Brain Damage
 Depending on which areas of the
brain have been damaged, one or
more of the following may occur:
1. Muscle tightness or spasms
2. Involuntary movement
3. Difficulty with "gross motor skills" such
as walking or running
4. Difficulty with "fine motor skills" such as
writing or doing up buttons
5. Difficulty in perception and sensation
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6. Associated Problems
 The above effects may cause
associated problems such as:
1. Feeding
2. Poor bladder control
3. Breathing problems
4. Pressure sores
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7. Associated Problems cont.
 The brain damage may lead to:
1. Seizures
2. Learning Disabilities
3. Developmental Delays
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8. Important to Remember that…
 Affected limbs are not paralyzed
and can feel pain, heat, cold and
pressure
 Physical disability is no indication of
intellectual disability.
 C.P. is not a degenerative condition,
damage to the brain is a one time
occurrence so it will not get worse.
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9. Important to remember that…
 People with C.P. have a normal life
span.
 Is not progressive, the effects of CP
may change over time:
 Some may improve
 Some may get worse
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10. Medically it is important to remember…
1. Is not contagious
2. Is not hereditary
3. Is not life threatening
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11. Types of C.P.
Topographical classification
 Classified by the number of limbs
involved:
1. Quadriplegia
2. Diplegia
3. Hemiplegia
4. Triplegia
5. Monoplegia
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12. Classification by Movement Disorders
 Spastic: Muscles are tight and stiff
 Athetoid: Involuntary movements,
constantly in motion
 Ataxic: Least common form.
Disturbed sense of balance.
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13. SPASTIC CP:
 Most common type, occurs 70-80% of all
cases.
 Reflexes are exaggerated & muscle
movement is stiff.
 In this type, muscles are very tight &
may get worse with time.
 Spastic Hemiplegia
 Spastic Diplegia
 Spastic Quadriplegia
 Abnormal gait. 13
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14. Spastic Hemiplegia
 One side is affected
 Injury to left side of brain affects
right side of body and vice versa.
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15. Spastic Diplegia
 Lower extremities are affected
 Most people with Spastic Diplegia
eventually walk.
 Toe walking and flexed knees are
common.
 Hip dislocations and crossed eyes
are common
 Often nearsighted
 Intelligence is unaffected
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16. Spastic Quadriplegia
 Whole body affected
 Often have hemiparetic tremors
(shaking that affects the limbs on
one side of the body)
 Often have fluid buildup
 Tubes are usually inserted into body
to drain excess fluids
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17. DYSKINETIC CP:
 Divided into 2 categories-
1) ATHETOID CP:
Involuntary, slow, writhing
movements.
2) DYSTONIC CP:
Trunk movements are more
affected than limb muscles,
resulting in a twisted posture.
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18. Athetoid
 Mixed muscle tone
 Trouble holding themselves in an
upright position.
 Takes a lot of concentration to get
hand to certain spot eg. Touching
nose
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19. ATAXIC CP:
 Least common type of C.P.
 Some individuals have tremors.
 Motor skills are affected
 Common to have visual and/or
auditory problems.
 Voluntary muscle movements are
not well coordinated.
 Tremors or an unsteady gait are
also common.
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20.  HYPOTONIC CP:
 Muscle tone is decreased or floppy.
 MIXED:
 Combination of the symptoms listed
above.
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21. Living with Cerebral Palsy
 Coping with Disabilities and
Handicaps
 Is not life threatening
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22. Treatment of C.P.
 No cure
 The earlier the treatment the better
 Treatments may include one or
more of the following:
 Physical therapy, occupational therapy,
speech therapy, drugs to control
seizures, alleviate pain, or relax muscle
spasms, braces on feet, standing frame
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23. Physical Therapy Treatment
 Designed to encourage the patient
to build strength.
 Life long physical therapy is
necessary to build muscle tone
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24. Occupational Therapy
 Helps adults maximize their function
in an attempt to live as
independently as possible
 Orthotic are often prescribed
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25. Speech Therapy
 Helps to control the muscles of the
mouth and the jaw
 This affects not only speech but also
breathing, biting, chew and swallowing.
 Starts before child begins school
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26. Chord Therapy
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