ABSTRACT
Cerebral palsy may be defined as any disorder of neuromotor functions secondary to cerebral damage occurring prenatally, at birth or early in the postnatal period. Three principal types may be considered clinically: (1) pyramidal (spastic paralysis); (2) extrapyramidal (athetosis, ataxia, tremor and rigidity) and (3) mixed. Due to the involvement of the musculoskeletal system the lack of motor control is the greater handicap, whereas in others mental retardation, speed and sensory disturbances may be the most important impairments. About 60% of the patients have spastic paralysis, assumed to follow damage to the corticospinal tracts, producing a motor dysfunction that varies greatly in distribution and severity.
