What is Athetoid Cerebral Palsy?

Do you know what athetoid cerebral palsy is? If you don't, then you should definitely continue reading. It is of vital importance that you become aware of what it is so that you will be able to know if your child has athetoid CP at an early age and be able to treat him or her immediately.

Athetoid CP accounts for around 10 to 20 percent of all CP cases. It is most commonly caused by damage done to the cerebellum or basal ganglia portion of the brain. The basal ganglia is responsible for controlling the coordinated movements and whole body posture.

Those who are affected by athetoid cerebral palsy typically show the following signs:

Unmanageable, involuntary movement of the limbs

Trouble walking or standing due to poor muscle tone

Twitching of the face

Difficulty with holding onto objects

Inability with feeding themselves and performing various activities in their day to day life, due to uncoordinated movements.

Drooling, griming and thrusting their tongues out

Inability to swallow food or speak normally

The treatment for athetoid cerebral palsy individuals will include a prescribed group of drugs called anticholinergics that are used to decrease abnormal and unnecessary movements. This blocks the effects of acetylcholine which triggers muscle contractions when acted on by nerve cells. Other drugs used to treat athetoid cerebral palsy include:

Trihexyphenidly

Benztropine and

Procyclidine

There are physical therapies that are employed to help restore movements such as swallowing in order to minimize the slurring of speech. Voice synthesizers and related technological advancements will also help make their speech more clear.

Even though this type of cerebral palsy doesn't worsen as the affected individual ages, it is truly distressing for them to live with such a condition.

Did you know?

Did you know that athetoid cerebral palsy may be the result of medical malpractice? Errors on the part of medical practitioners may have played a part in your child's cerebral palsy. To find out, contact a cerebral palsy attorney at the Law Offices of Jeff Rasansky. Our team of legal experts will be able to help you find out the truth about your child's condition. Call 1 800 ATTORNEY today for a FREE consultation. There is no price tag on peace of mind!