Athetoid Cerebral Palsy

A type of cerebral palsy characterized by involuntary, slow, writhing movements (athetosis) that affect the face, trunk, and limbs. It accounts for about 10-15% of cerebral palsy cases and results from damage to the basal ganglia. People with athetoid cerebral palsy often experience speech difficulties because the same involuntary movements affect the muscles controlling speech, causing unstable consonant production. Unlike spastic cerebral palsy, muscle tone fluctuates between too loose and too tight, making both speech and sign language communication challenging.