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Cerebral palsy and mental retardation are often confused, but they are different conditions with different symptoms, causes, and treatments. Cerebral palsy affects physical movements due to brain damage, while mental retardation affects intellectual development. Treatment options vary for each condition.
Cerebral palsy and mental retardation are two different conditions that each affect brain function. While some individuals with cerebral palsy may also have mental retardation, the two conditions are often incorrectly used interchangeably; each has different symptoms, causes, and severity. Cerebral palsy is a condition in which damage in the brain prevents a person from being able to fully control physical movements, while mental retardation refers to a condition in which a person does not have fully developed brainpower compared to other people in his age group.
One of the main differences between cerebral palsy and mental retardation relates to the symptoms. Cerebral palsy symptoms are usually focused on physical impairments. Individuals with the condition may have difficulty controlling their muscular dexterity and their limb movements may be excessively loose or stiff. They may also have problems with mouth function, such as not being able to swallow easily or having involuntary drooling. Symptoms of mental retardation tend to be classified primarily at general intellectual levels and typically include an individual who is unable to perform regular tasks on their own and function on a daily basis.
The amount of knowledge related to the causes of each of the conditions is another difference between cerebral palsy and mental retardation. Cerebral palsy is thought to be caused by factors that cause brain damage to a fetus while in the womb or shortly after birth. The damage can be caused by infections, such as rubella, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, varicella or cytomegalovirus, present in the pregnant woman during pregnancy; a stroke in the fetus due to clots in the placenta or abnormal blood vessels; exposure to toxins during pregnancy; or cases of viral encephalitis or meningitis in newborns. Less is known about the causes of mental retardation and many estimate that in most cases the cause is unknown. Possible causes are thought to be genetic abnormalities, such as inherited neurological or chromosomal disorders.
Another difference between cerebral palsy and mental retardation is the possible treatment options. The stiff limbs of cerebral palsy can be reduced with the use of muscle relaxant drugs. Physical therapy may also be implemented to help an individual with the condition move and walk more easily, and surgery may be performed in severe cases to improve muscle coordination. Treatment of mental retardation often consists of therapy or guidance to help the individual acclimate to common tasks and build confidence to perform fully to his or her maximum intellectual capacity.
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