Pediatric Hemiparesis Clinical Trial
Official title:
Synergistic Effect of Combined Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/Constraint Induced Movement Therapy in Children With Hemiparesis
| Verified date | August 2020 |
| Source | University of Minnesota |
| Contact | n/a |
| Is FDA regulated | No |
| Health authority | |
| Study type | Interventional |
Hemiparetic cerebral palsy influences motor function in children during development and
throughout their lifetime. The deficits one sees are the result both of the congenitally
induced brain lesion and the subsequent plasticity that can impair function of the surviving
neurons in the damaged brain.
Many current treatments have limited influence on children's neurorecovery.
Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) involving constraining the unaffected limb to
encourage use of the affected limb has shown promise, yet with new technology revealing the
potential to directly influence the brain, there is an urgent need to study the synergy of
combined techniques.
Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as a direct neuromodulatory intervention has the
potential to act synergistically with CIMT to influence neurorecovery.
Combining behavioral therapies, constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), with a novel form
of neuromodulation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), we investigated the
influence of this intervention on improved motor outcomes in children with cerebral palsy.
The study hypotheses surround the safety, feasibility and efficacy of combined CIMT and tDCS
wherein those children who receive the combined intervention will reveal no major adverse
events, yet improved hand function and cortical excitability.
To Note: In addition to the combination of NIBS with CIMT, we also investigated the
combination of NIBS with another form of motor intervention, bimanual, or two-handed,
training. During bimanual training, children engage both hands in movements. The goal of
bimanual training is to teach children how to most effectively use their hands cooperatively.
During bimanual training, children play with games and toys that require the use of both
hands. Children also practice activities of daily living that require the use of both hands,
such as putting hair in a ponytail, tying shoes, and buttoning clothing. N=8 for this pilot
study and no randomization. (Burke Medical Research Institute partnered with Columbia
University and did a parallel pilot study. N=8 (PIs Friel and Gordon; Protocol BRC449)
| Status | Completed |
| Enrollment | 20 |
| Est. completion date | July 10, 2017 |
| Est. primary completion date | June 28, 2017 |
| Accepts healthy volunteers | No |
| Gender | All |
| Age group | 8 Years to 21 Years |
| Eligibility |
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Hemispheric Stroke or Periventricular Leukomalacia confirmed by most recent MRI or CT radiologic report with resultant congenital hemiparesis 2. = 10 degrees of active motion at the metacarpophalangeal joint 3. Receptive language function to follow two-step commands as evidenced by performance on TOKEN test of intelligence 4. No evidence of seizure activity within the last 2 years 5. Presence of a motor evoked potential from at least the contralesional hemisphere if not both hemispheres 6. Ages 8-21 years 7. Able to give informed assent along with the informed consent of the legal guardian 8. Children who have had surgeries, which may influence motor function eg- tendon transfer, will be included, yet surgical history will be documented and included in any publication within a participant characteristics table. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Metabolic Disorders 2. Neoplasm 3. Epilepsy 4. Disorders of Cellular Migration and Proliferation 5. Acquired Traumatic Brain Injury 6. Pregnancy 7. Indwelling metal or incompatible medical devices 8. Evidence of skin disease or skin abnormalities 9. Botulinum toxin or Phenol block within [six-months] preceding the study |
| Country | Name | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | University of Minnesota | Minneapolis | Minnesota |
| United States | Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare | Saint Paul | Minnesota |
| Lead Sponsor | Collaborator |
|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation, Foundation for Physical Therapy, Inc., National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
United States,
Gillick B, Menk J, Mueller B, Meekins G, Krach LE, Feyma T, Rudser K. Synergistic effect of combined transcranial direct current stimulation/constraint-induced movement therapy in children and young adults with hemiparesis: study protocol. BMC Pediatr. 2015 Nov 12;15:178. doi: 10.1186/s12887-015-0498-1. — View Citation
| Type | Measure | Description | Time frame | Safety issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | Change in Subject Symptom Assessment (SSA) From 2 Weeks to 6 Months | The Subject Symptom Assessment (SSA) is a questionnaire of common side effects reported in the literature that is asked of the child undergoing non-invasive brain stimulation. This measure asks the child to rate if the symptom is present (yes or no) and if it is present, rate the severity using a 1 to 4 scale (1 indicates absent, 2=mild, 3=moderate, 4=severe). Lower values are better as they represent absent or mild symptoms. Outcome is reported as the change in symptom severity from 2 weeks of treatment to 6 months of treatment. This measure is not collected at baseline. | 2 weeks, 6 months | |
| Primary | Change in Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) | Participants were videotaped while performing a bimanual age-appropriate activity. Investigators scored this performance using the Assessment of Assisting Hand (AHA) inventory. The AHA consists of 22 items, each scored on a 4-point scale. Raw scores are a sum of the 22 item scores, ranging from 22-88. Computer software logarithmically transforms ordinal raw scores into a final score. Final scores are reported on a logit-based AHA-unit scale and range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater ability. Outcome is reported as the change from baseline to 2 weeks and change from baseline to 6 months. | 2 weeks, 6 months | |
| Secondary | Change in Canadian Occupational Performance Measurement (COPM) | The COPM is clinician-administered semi-structured interview measuring the participant's perception of satisfaction and performance of personally set goals. There are 3 categories (Self-Care, Productivity, and Leisure) each containing 3 subcategories each for a total of 9 items, which are rated on an ordinal scale from 1 (minimum importance) to 10 (maximum importance). Each of the child's goals are given a satisfaction and performance rating. The average of the satisfaction ratings across all goals is reported as the "average satisfaction score", ranging from 1 to 10, with higher scores indicating a better outcome. Outcome is reported as the change from baseline to 2 weeks and change from baseline to 6 months. | 2 weeks, 6 months |