Are there different types of cerebral palsy?
There are several different types of cerebral palsy: spastic diplegia, spastic hemiplegia, spastic quadriplegia, athetoid dyskinetic cerebral palsy, choreoathetoid dyskinetic cerebral palsy, dystonic dyskinetic cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy, hypotonic cerebral palsy, and mixed cerebral palsy. The spastic forms of CP are characterized by stiff muscles and muscle spasms. The dyskinetic forms of CP are characterized by involuntary, writhing movements. Ataxic CP, the least disabling of all the forms, is characterized by balance and depth perception problems which make walking difficult. Hypotonic CP is characterized by overly relaxed, “floppy” muscles. As the name implies, mixed CP is characterized by symptoms of two or more forms of the disorder.
