With athetoid cerebral palsy, muscle control is affected by unwanted sporadic movements.
Athetoid CP is characterized by involuntary writhing movements of the limbs and is usually caused by hypoxia of a shorter but more profound duration.
The category includes athetoid or choreoathetoid CP; both are hyperkinetic forms of the disease.
Spastic diplegia, for example, refers to continuously tight muscles that have no voluntary control in both legs, while athetoid quadraparesis describes uncontrolled writhing movements and muscle weakness in all four limbs.
Spastic diplegia is seen in more individuals than is athetoid quadraparesis.