Cerebral palsy and AADC deficiency

Cerebral palsy and AADC deficiency have a number of overlapping signs and symptoms, meaning it can be difficult to tell them apart
On this page you will learn more about cerebral palsy including how it is similar to AADC deficiency and how it is different

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is not a single condition, but is instead used to describe a group of disorders that can affect a person’s ability to move and balance properly
It is the most common motor disability in childhood
While the specific cause of cerebral palsy is normally not known for most children, it is usually caused by damage to the brain before or during birth (also known as congenital cerebral palsy) or more than 28 days after birth (known as acquired cerebral palsy)
Most children with cerebral palsy have what is known as ‘spastic cerebral palsy’, which means that their muscles are very stiff, making moving difficult
Cerebral palsy symptoms can range from mild to severe and are different in each person affected
For every 1,000 children born alive, about 1.5 to 2.5 will have cerebral palsy, with the risk highest among very preterm and low-birthweight babies

Throughout the first 2 years of a child’s life, they should reach key developmental milestones such as sitting without support, crawling or walking
While children progress at different rates, a delay in reaching milestones is the most common sign that a child may have a condition like cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy may also have some of these other signs:
- They feel floppy (also known as having low muscle tone or hypotonia)
- They feel stiff
- They have involuntary muscle contractions that cause slow repetitive movements or abnormal postures (also known as dystonia)
- They have involuntary, irregular, unpredictable muscle movements that make them look restless or fidgety

Some of the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy may also appear in other conditions including:
Many of the childhood signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy are similar to those seen in children with AADC deficiency
While cerebral palsy and AADC deficiency can have different signs and symptoms, some of the similarities and differences between these conditions are shown below. Click the icons for more information:

The overlap in signs and symptoms between these conditions means that some individuals may be diagnosed with both cerebral palsy and AADC deficiency

When there is a delay to a diagnosis of AADC deficiency, or it is incorrectly diagnosed, treatment and appropriate management of this condition are delayed
If your child is displaying any of the symptoms listed of AADC deficiency or neuromuscular disorders, talk to your child’s doctor