What is Diplegia in cerebral palsy

Spastic diplegia

What does Diplegic mean?

Diplegia is a condition that causes stiffness, weakness, or lack of mobility in muscle groups on both sides of the body. This usually involves the legs, but in some people the arms and face also might be affected.

What causes Diplegic cerebral palsy?

As with other types of cerebral palsy, spastic diplegia is usually caused by brain damage, which generally happens before, during, or shortly after birth. Babies born prematurely and with low birth weight are at a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy.

What does cerebral diplegia mean?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles.

What is difference between diplegia and quadriplegia?

Quadriplegia – all four limbs are affected, from quad meaning four and plegia meaning paralysis, or impaired ability to move. Diplegia – two limbs are affected, from di meaning two. Although diplegia typically refers to someone whose legs are most involved, the arms may also be affected, but to a lesser degree.

Can you walk with diplegia?

Most children with diplegia are eventually able to walk, although many start walking late. Diplegia, like other forms of cerebral palsy, is difficult to detect early on. Warning signs may include stiff lower extremities or floppiness of the limbs that become stiff later on.

What does spastic diplegia look like?

Spastic diplegia (or diparesis) is a subtype of spastic cerebral palsy in which the legs are the most affected limbs. People with spastic diplegia often have a “scissor walk,” characterized by the knees turning inward/crossing. This is due to tightness in the hip and leg muscles.

What is the difference between diplegia and paraplegia?

Diplegia refers to weakness in both lower limbs which is upper motor neuron lesion type. commonest cause is prematurity. upper limbs may also be involved but always to a lesser extent. Paraplegia is the paralysis of lower half of body with involvement of both legs usualy caused by diseases or injury to spinal cord.

What is Diplegic gait?

Diplegic Gait Patients have involvement on both sides with spasticity in lower extremities worse than upper extremities. The patient walks with an abnormally narrow base, dragging both legs and scraping the toes. This gait is seen in bilateral periventricular lesions, such as those seen in cerebral palsy.

What part of the brain is affected by diplegia?

The primary parts of the brain that are affected by diplegia are the ventricles, fluid filled compartments in the brain, and the wiring from the center of the brain to the cerebral cortex. There is also usually some degeneration of the cerebral neurons, as well as problems in the upper motor neuron system.

Article first time published on

Can spastic diplegia get worse?

Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive disorder, meaning it will not get worse as time goes on. The life expectancy of an individual with CP is comparable to that of the general population.

How do you treat spastic diplegia?

There is currently no cure for spastic diplegia or any other type of cerebral palsy. With early intervention and proper treatment, the prognosis for children with spastic diplegia is favorable. The disorder itself will not worsen, although associated conditions may increase in severity over time.

How is spastic diplegia diagnosed?

Most children with spastic cerebral palsy are diagnosed in the first 2 years of life. Health care providers look for signs of CP if a baby is born early or has another health problem that’s associated with CP. No single test can diagnose spastic CP.

Can stroke cause Diplegia?

Spastic diplegia in adult patients can be due to stroke, brain or spinal cord injury from trauma, infection, toxic-metabolic disorders, and other causes. Although rarely considered, SDR is an option for adult patients with spastic diplegia as well.

What are the top two causes of paralysis in adults?

Paralysis is most often caused by strokes, usually from a blocked artery in your neck or brain. It also can be caused by damage to your brain or spinal cord, like what can happen in a car accident or sports injury.

What is the difference between paraplegia and hemiplegia?

Paraplegia is paralysis of the legs and lower body resulting from injury to nerves in the areas of the lumbar or thoracic vertebrae. Hemiplegia is paralysis of one side of the body.

Is spastic diplegia a disability?

Severe intellectual disability -progressive spastic diplegia syndrome is a rare condition that has been described in a few people with severe intellectual disability .

Why are the lower limbs more affected in Diplegic cerebral palsy?

Cerebral Palsy The close proximity of the lower extremity tracts to the ventricles most likely explains the more frequent involvement of the lower extremities with periventricular lesions (Fig. 33.1). This type of cerebral palsy is most common in premature infants; intelligence usually is normal.

Does spastic diplegia affect speech?

Spastic – Children with spastic cerebral palsy usually struggle with slow, imprecise oral movements that require a lot of effort. Their speech often sounds slurred and their voice sounds tight or hoarse.

Is spastic diplegia congenital?

Unlike any other condition that may present with similar effects, spastic diplegia is entirely congenital in origin—that is, it is almost always acquired shortly before or during a baby’s birth process.

What causes scissoring?

A scissoring gait is characterized by the knees and thighs pressed together or crossing each other while walking. It’s caused by high muscle tone (spasticity) in the hip adductors. The hip adductors are the muscles responsible for bringing the thighs together.

What is selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery?

Selective dorsal rhizotomy is a surgical procedure performed on the lower spinal cord. The nerves are separated then identified via an electrical stimulation. Following identification, certain sensory nerve fibers in the spinal cord are cut.

What is Antalgic gait?

Antalgic gait is one of the most common forms of altered gait in patients presenting to the emergency department and primary care offices. It refers to an abnormal pattern of walking secondary to pain that ultimately causes a limp, whereby the stance phase is shortened relative to the swing phase.

Which gait is present in muscular dystrophy?

As individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy moved from the early to late phase, the gait pattern demonstrated an increase in anterior pelvic tilt, maximum hip flexion in swing, and maximum internal foot rotation in stance, while maximum hip extension in stance and ankle dorsiflexion in swing decreased.

What is a non Antalgic gait?

Types: Non-Antalgic Gait. Steppage Gait. Cause: Neurologic deficit interferes with foot dorsiflexion. Hip and Knee Joints are flexed excessively during swing phase (allows toes to clear ground)

What is familial spastic paraplegia?

Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a general term for a group of rare inherited disorders that cause weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles. Symptoms gradually get worse over time. It’s also known as familial spastic paraparesis or Strümpell-Lorrain syndrome.

What is the difference between hemiparesis and hemiplegia?

Hemiparesis is a mild or partial weakness or loss of strength on one side of the body. Hemiplegia is a severe or complete loss of strength or paralysis on one side of the body. The difference between the two conditions primarily lies in severity.

How does hemiplegia occur?

Hemiplegia definition Hemiplegia is a condition caused by brain damage or spinal cord injury that leads to paralysis on one side of the body. It causes weakness, problems with muscle control, and muscle stiffness.

Can people with spastic diplegia drive?

Cerebral Palsy and Driving By utilizing car adaptations, many people with cerebral palsy can become more independent and drive safely.

What parts of the body does CP affect specifically and how are they affected?

Cerebral palsy affects the motor area of the brain’s outer layer (called the cerebral cortex), the part of the brain that directs muscle movement. In some cases, the cerebral motor cortex hasn’t developed normally during fetal growth.

What is the mildest form of cerebral palsy?

Individuals with mild cerebral palsy are often classified as GMFCS level 1. These individuals are generally able to walk and perform everyday activities without assistance. Because they’re able to maintain their independence, mild CP can go unnoticed and consequently untreated for years.