Ataxic cerebral palsy

Adapted directly from a non-clinical website with a sole focus on children. Please expand and deepen this article to include clinically-vetted information on this condition encompassing all age groups.

Low muscle tone combined with poor coordination of muscle movements is described as ataxic cerebral palsy.

Those with ataxic cerebral palsy are very unsteady and shaky, as opposed to "tight" and "stiff" as typifies spastic cerebral palsy. This rare (i.e., within the 20-30% not statistically occupied by Spastic CP) form of cerebral palsy affects primarily the sense of balance and depth perception, and produces a general shakiness in movement similar to the types often seen in more general ataxia.^[1]

Affected persons often have poor coordination and walk unsteadily with a wide based gait, placing their feet unusually far apart. Shakiness increases when trying to handle or hold a small object, such as a pen. Because of the shaky movements and problems coordinating their muscles, those with ataxic cerebral palsy may take longer than others to complete certain tasks such as hand-writing a sentence or typing on a keyboard.

1. ^ http://www.about-cerebral-palsy.org/definition/ataxic-cerebral-palsy.html

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