Bilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Quadriplegia and Spastic Diplegia

Bilateral spastic Cerebral Palsy – including diplegia and quadriplegia – is by far the most common form of CP. Roughly three-quarters of all cases of Cerebral Palsy fall into this category. Tightness and stiffness of the muscles are the signature symptoms of this form of Cerebral Palsy. Diplegia affects mainly the legs, while quadriplegia affects the upper and lower halves of the body, often including the face.

Symptoms of Spastic Diplegia
The main effects of bilateral spastic CP causing diplegia include:

  • Constant hypertonia (stiffness or rigidity) in the muscles of the legs, hips and pelvis
  • Little or no muscular stiffness or rigidity in the arms and the rest of the upper body
  • “Scissor gait” characterized by the legs turning inward, pulling together and crossing at the knees
  • Difficulty walking
  • Impaired balance

Symptoms of Spastic Quadriplegia
The most severe form of Cerebral Palsy, quadriplegic bilateral spastic CP manifests in several different ways, such as:

  • Constant hypertonia (stiffness or rigidity) in the muscles of the legs, hips and pelvis
  • Little or no muscular stiffness or rigidity in the arms and the rest of the upper body
  • “Scissor gait” characterized by the legs turning inward, pulling together and crossing at the knees
  • Difficulty walking
  • Impaired balance

Causes of Bilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Bilateral spastic CP – including both diplegia and quadriplegia – are the result of brain damage, as is the case with every form of Cerebral Palsy. The main difference is the part of the brain affected.

In bilateral spastic Cerebral Palsy, the brain damage centers on the motor cortex, the basal ganglia and the corticospinal tract. This prevents the muscles from properly absorbing the amino acid that governs muscle tone.

Some of the most common causes of this type of brain damage include:

  • Oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery
  • Bleeding in the brain
  • Abnormal brain development
  • Fetal stroke
  • Infection
  • Jaundice
  • High blood pressure in the mother
  • Malformed blood vessels
While the underlying brain damage that causes bilateral spastic CP does not get worse over time, some of the outward symptoms may deteriorate without treatment.
Treatment of Spastic Diplegia and Quadriplegia From Spastic CP
There is currently no way to fix the brain damage that results in diplegic or quadriplegic bilateral spastic CP, but treatments and rehabilitation can help children with the condition reach their full potential.

Some potentially effective treatments include:

Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Speech therapy
Medications including baclofen (a pharmaceutical replacement for a gamma amino butyric acid), tizanidine and Botox (muscle relaxants), phenol (nerve deadener)
Surgery to sever nerves that are overly active
Surgery to release contracted muscles

Since every case of diplegic or quadriplegic bilateral spastic CP is unique – as is every patient – the particular course of treatment will vary. The degree of success of any particular treatment also depends to a large degree on the individual characteristics of the condition and the child.

Other Common Types of Cerebral Palsy
Bilateral spastic CP is but one of many forms of Cerebral Palsy. Other common types of the condition include:

  • Extrapyramidal or non-spastic Cerebral Palsy
    • Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
    • Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
    • Dystonic Cerebral Palsy
    • Chorea
    • Choreoathetoid
    • Dystonia
  • Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
  • Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
  • Mixed Cerebral Palsy
  • Athetoid Cerebral Palsy (Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy)
Free Help for Parents of Children With Bilateral Cerebral Palsy
If your child has bilateral spastic Cerebral Palsy (including diplegia or quadriplegia) or another form of Cerebral Palsy, it’s important to know that you are not alone. There are resources available to help you and your child get the most out of life.

MyChild™ offers free case evaluations and answers to your questions about your child’s bilateral CP. Fill out our online contact form now for confidential and caring assistance.

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