What is Mixed Cerebral Palsy? All You Need To Know

 For any parent to learn that their child has Cerebral Palsy is difficult. However, getting the best Cerebral Palsy treatment can help manage the condition. The first step towards it is to understand the disorder. It is important to note though the symptoms may differ for each child and can affect multiple parts of the body, particularly in the case of Mixed Cerebral Palsy. Read on to know more about what it looks like and how to manage its symptoms. 

Understanding Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of neurological disorders that affect movement, muscle tone, coordination, and motor skills, caused by damage or abnormalities in the developing brain. Cerebral Palsy is classified into different types based on which parts of the brain are affected.

Types of Cerebral Palsy

• Spastic: It is the most common type of Cerebral Palsy, affecting about 80% of all patients. Also known as Hypertonic Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Cerebral Palsy is caused due to motor cortex damage before, during, or after birth. For patients with spastic Cerebral Palsy, muscles become stiff and make movement difficult or even impossible — a phenomenon known as spasticity. 

• Dyskinetic: This type accounts for about 6 percent of all Cerebral Palsy cases. It is caused due to damage in the basal ganglia, which controls the body’s voluntary movements. Patients with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy often exhibit involuntary movements, especially when trying to move voluntarily or when feeling tired or anxious. 

• Ataxic: This type accounts for about 6 percent of all Cerebral Palsy cases. It is caused due to damage in the cerebellum, which is the balance center of the brain. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy affects the patient’s sense of balance and causes clumsy, uncoordinated movements — making day-to-day activities difficult.

• Hypotonic: As opposed to muscle stiffness in Hypertonic Cerebral Palsy, Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy causes excessively relaxed muscles owing to diminished muscle tone. It leads to poor reflexes, speech difficulties, and trouble walking.

Often, patients may exhibit symptoms of more than one of the above types of Cerebral Palsy. The patient is then said to have Mixed Cerebral Palsy. 

Mixed Cerebral Palsy is caused due to combination damage in the motor cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum.It accounts for less than 10 percent of all Cerebral Palsy diagnoses.

Symptoms of Mixed Cerebral Palsy

Mixed Cerebral Palsy tends to affect each child differently, as the exact nature and extent of the brain damage will vary. In addition, certain types of brain damage may heal and go away on their own, making a diagnosis before the age of three difficult. Some of the symptoms to watch out for include:

• Jerky movements

• Muscle spasms in the limbs

• Extremely stiff muscles

• Coordination issues

• Poor posture 

• Crossed legs and/or awkward gait

• Difficulty with holding the head up

• Difficulty rolling over

• Favoring one arm when reaching to grab objects

Treatment for Mixed Cerebral Palsy

The kind of treatment your doctor will prescribe will depend on the symptoms. The best Cerebral Palsy treatment typically comprises Stem Cell Therapy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy to help the patient perform daily activities more efficiently.

• Physical Therapy: Depending on the movement problems the patient is having, the therapist will decide on a set of activities to improve their mobility. Muscle strengthening exercises, massage therapy, flexibility exercises, and assistive devices like braces can all help. 

• Occupational Therapy: This enables the patient to perform day-to-day activities on their own, including brushing teeth, getting dressed, taking a bath, and playing with toys. Also, using a variety of games, books, and exercises can help improve the patient’s coordination and strengthen their ability to use both sides of their body while performing an activity.

• Speech and Language Therapy: This helps the patient work through the slurred speech that often comes with Mixed Cerebral Palsy. Breathing exercises, jaw exercises, and articulation therapy help them swallow their food safely and speak more intelligibly. 

While living with Mixed Cerebral Palsy can be challenging, the condition is not progressive and does not affect lifespan and mental abilities. The right treatment and therapy, combined with plenty of love and support, will help make the patient as independent as possible and enable them to live a comfortable life.