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The incidence of
cerebral palsy is about two to four children in every thousand
births. It results from injury to the cerebrum, the largest portion
of the brain and which is involved with higher mental faculties,
sensations and voluntary muscle activities. There are three main
types of cerebral palsy: spasticity, athetoid palsy and ataxic
cerebral palsy. A patient’s condition could be either of one single
type or a combination of the types.
Of the three types,
spasticity is the most common type. Around fifty per cent of the
children suffer from spasticity. It typically causes reduced
movement. The conditions occur because nerve fibers that control
voluntary movements are damaged. In the second type, dyskinetic or
athetoid palsy, there are uncontrolled movements that occur due to a
damage to the nerve fibers that control inhibition of muscle
movement. This happens in twenty per cent of the cases. The third
type, ataxic cerebral palsy, occurs in ten per cent of the cases.
This condition affects a person’s balance and precision of
movements. The remaining ten per cent are classified as having a
mixture of the types.
Generally, cerebral
palsy is considered a permanent condition, since brain tissues that
have been damaged do not grow again or repair themselves. The
damaged tissues are not regenerative. However, some normal cells do
take over some functions of the damaged or injured areas. An
interesting part of cerebral palsy is that symptoms that result
directly result from the condition do not become worse with age and
time.
Treatment is, however,
possible. Nowadays, there are specialized therapists such as speech
therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, special
educators and others who can help people with cerebral palsy lead
normal and productive lives.
There is another
condition called Bell palsy. It is also called facial nerve
palsy. This condition is not related to cerebral palsy. Here,
muscles on one side of the face become very weak. The person cannot
close his eye. He cannot gargle. Sometimes, he also suffers problems
with his hearing and a partial loss of taste. In very rare cases,
both sides of the face are affected.
A major difference
between cerebral palsy and Bell’s palsy is that the latter is
reversible. Usually it occurs due to a viral infection. Normally,
the condition resolves itself spontaneously. There are cases when it
has to be treated with drugs and, again, there are some rare
instances when surgery is required. |
