What Are The Symptoms Of Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a lifelong neurological condition that can affect an individual's movement, coordination, posture, and learning. It is most often caused by damage to the brain that occurs before or during birth. Most patients with this condition are diagnosed before they are five years old, and symptoms can vary greatly in severity. For example, some patients may have only mild issues with walking, and others might need to use a wheelchair. To diagnose cerebral palsy, doctors generally observe the patient's gait, posture, and movements for several months, and brain scans are also conducted. Although the symptoms of cerebral palsy last for a lifetime, they do not worsen in severity as a patient gets older. Treatment methods for this condition include medications and surgeries to relax tight muscles, and patients are also given physical, occupational, and speech therapy to improve motor skills.

The symptoms outlined below are some of those that may be present in cases of cerebral palsy.

Loss Of Coordination And Balance

Patients with cerebral palsy typically experience some degree of loss of coordination and balance. Depending on the type of cerebral palsy a patient has, they may be unable to balance while sitting or standing, and it could be necessary to use crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair. Patients with mild forms of the condition could struggle with running, going up and down stairs, and jumping. In addition to difficulties with these gross motor skills, the patient's coordination of fine motor skills is sometimes affected. Tasks such as writing, buttoning a button, or cooking could be difficult, and the patient might struggle with hand-eye coordination. Physical therapy can be used to help patients build coordination and improve balance.

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Issues With Muscle Tone

Issues with muscle tone are common in all types of cerebral palsy. When muscle tone is affected, muscles that normally work in pairs do not function as they should, and this can cause postural changes and difficulty with sitting and other tasks that require balance. Patients with cerebral palsy may have decreased muscle tone (hypotonia), which means the muscles are floppy and more relaxed than they should be. Other patients with cerebral palsy might display increased muscle tone (hypertonia), which makes the muscles stiff and rigid. Sometimes, an individual with this condition could have some muscle groups that are too rigid and others that are too loose. Issues with muscle tone can cause a patient to need to exert three to five times more energy than an individual without cerebral palsy to complete tasks such as standing and walking. When assessing a child for cerebral palsy, doctors will evaluate muscle tone periodically. Specialized stretching exercises and other therapies may help improve muscle tone. Patients may need to take frequent breaks when doing tasks that require exertion.

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