Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

Spastic diplegia is the most frequent type of cerebral palsy (CP), and impaired gait is a common sequela of this condition. The investigators compared the effects of two novel research interventions transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and virtual reality (VR) on gait impairments in children with spastic diplegia. Currently, both tDCS and VR require further investigation to determine their clinical effectiveness for children with CP. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of tDCS and VR training on spatiotemporal and kinetic gait parameters in children with spastic diplegia, as a supplemental intervention to traditional physical therapy.


Clinical Trial Description

Cerebral palsy (CP) is caused by early-stage brain injury, affecting 2 to 3 children in every 1000 live births. CP is divided into different subtypes depending on the dominant neurological signs: spastic, dyskinetic, or ataxic. Epilepsy and intellectual disability, as well as problems with speech, hearing, and vision, are all common complications [1]. spastic diplegic CP is one of the most common developmental disabilities throughout life, caused by large-scale changes in subcortical brain activity with a reduced activation of corticospinal and somatosensory circuits, which leads to diminished activation of the central nervous system during volitional activities. Gait impairment is seen in 90% of children with spastic diplegic CP, stemming from this decreased cortical excitability and compounded by spasticity of the lower extremities, excessive muscular weakness, impaired joint mobility, and poor coordination and balance. Specifically, children with CP have reduced gait velocity, cadence, and stride length, among other affected spatiotemporal gait parameters. The International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health consider changes in the spatial and temporal characteristics of gait to be important predictors to poor function and community participation. Additionally, crouched gait, scissoring, and other atypical gait patterns are common in this population, further affecting the kinematic and kinetic characteristics of gait and leading to metabolically expensive locomotion, high fall risk, and long-term musculoskeletal injury. For children with spastic diplegic CP, the primary goal of rehabilitation is to facilitate mobility and appropriate walking patterns with or without external assistance. Improving spatiotemporal and kinetic characteristics of gait would improve gait function, increase gait efficiency, and reduce the risk of long-term disability. In turn, it would allow these children to participate in more activities of daily living, meaningful interactions with family and society, and environmental exploration, as well as to improve their physical development. In the current study, the investigators considered two technology-driven strategies that could potentially target gait impairments and improve gait function in children with CP: virtual reality (VR) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Both interventions have been studied for their therapeutic potential with mixed results, especially in children. Specifically, VR can simulate real-life activities while providing repetition, augmented sensory input and feedback, error reduction/augmentation to increase motivation during the rehabilitation process. As a training tool, VR provides visual perceptual stimulation resulting from dynamic changes in context, which may aid in the execution of regulated exercises while also requiring concentration and additional postural control. Neuroimaging studies suggest that VR can facilitate learning and recovery by stimulating cortical reorganization and neural plasticity. Previous research has utilized VR as a therapeutic tool for children to improve balance, walking speed, and/or distance, as well as to encourage physical activity. Additional VR therapies have been shown to enhance functional performance in activities including squatting, standing posture, and energy expenditure. With the commercialization of VR-related products like the Nintendo Wii, many virtual games are readily available for home use. These games are often designed to challenge and train balance, posture, and dynamic movements all of which are critical factors for gait. Thus, VR-based rehabilitation may offer a unique, accessible therapeutic approach to reduce gait impairments and improve dynamic function. In contrast, tDCS is a neuromodulation technique focused on optimizing existing neural pathways to prolong and/or improve the functional gains achieved by rehabilitation. tDCS is applied through either anodal or cathodal stimulation, which corresponds to excitation or inhibition of the stimulated brain areas, respectively. Anodal stimulation enhances cortical excitability through depolarization, allowing for more spontaneous cell firing, while cathodal stimulation has an inhibitory effect through hyperpolarization. Functionally, this means application of tDCS will influence activity in the area of the brain it targets. Previous research indicates that inhibited cortical input to the corticospinal tract is a possible cause of increased spasticity in CP, so it is reasonable to predict that anodal stimulation would mitigate these symptoms in individuals with spastic CP. The neurophysiological effects of anodal tDCS can also potentiate motor learning through this increase in cortical activity, which is applicable to the treatment of all subtypes of CP. These benefits may translate into functionally improved gait as well. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT05670522
Study type Interventional
Source Beni-Suef University
Contact
Status Completed
Phase N/A
Start date November 11, 2020
Completion date August 14, 2021

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Recruiting NCT05317234 - Genetic Predisposition in Cerebral Palsy N/A
Recruiting NCT05576948 - Natural History of Cerebral Palsy Prospective Study
Completed NCT04119063 - Evaluating Wearable Robotic Assistance on Gait Early Phase 1
Completed NCT03264339 - The Small Step Program - Early Intervention for Children With High Risk of Developing Cerebral Palsy N/A
Completed NCT05551364 - Usability and Effectiveness of the ATLAS2030 Exoskeleton in Children With Cerebral Palsy N/A
Completed NCT03902886 - Independent Walking Onset of Children With Cerebral Palsy
Recruiting NCT05571033 - Operant Conditioning of the Soleus Stretch Reflex in Adults With Cerebral Palsy N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT04081675 - Compliance in Children With Cerebral Palsy Supplied With AFOs
Completed NCT02167022 - Intense Physiotherapies to Improve Function in Young Children With Cerebral Palsy N/A
Completed NCT04012125 - The Effect of Flexible Thoracolumbar Brace on Scoliosis in Cerebral Palsy N/A
Enrolling by invitation NCT05619211 - Piloting Movement-to-Music With Arm-based Sprint-Intensity Interval Training Among Children With Physical Disabilities Phase 1
Completed NCT04489498 - Comparison of Somatometric Characteristics Between Cerebral Palsy and Normal Children, Cross-sectional, Multi Center Study
Completed NCT03677193 - Biofeedback-enhanced Interactive Computer-play for Youth With Cerebral Palsy N/A
Recruiting NCT06450158 - Robot-assisted Training in Children With CP N/A
Completed NCT04093180 - Intensive Neurorehabilitation for Cerebral Palsy N/A
Completed NCT02909127 - The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool
Not yet recruiting NCT06377982 - Human Umbilical Cord Blood Infusion in Patients With Cerebral Palsy Phase 1
Not yet recruiting NCT06007885 - Examining Capacity Building of Youth With Physical Disabilities to Pursue Participation Following the PREP Intervention. N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT03183427 - Corpus Callosum Size in Patients With Pineal Cyst N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT03078621 - Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy Phase 1/Phase 2