Effects of a single session of transcranial direct current stimulation on upper limb movements in children with cerebral palsy: A randomized, sham-controlled study.

INTRODUCTION: Motor impairment in children with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy (CP) is generally more prominent in the affected upper limb, leading to limitations in hand function stemming from deficiencies in motor coordination and selective motor control as well as muscle weakness, slower execution of movements and deficient integration of sensory-motor information. OBJECTIVE: Determine the effect of a single session of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with functional training on the spatiotemporal variables of upper arm movements in children with spastic hemiparesis. METHOD: A randomized, sham-controlled trial with a blinded evaluator was conducted involving 20 children with CP between 6 and 12 years of age. The spatiotemporal variables of the upper limbs were analyzed by comparing the results of Evaluation 1 (before stimulation) and Evaluation 2 (immediately after stimulation). The protocol consisted of a 20-minute session of functional training of the paretic upper limb combined with tDCS administered over the primary motor cortex of the hemisphere contralateral to the motor impairment at an intensity of 1 mA. The participants were randomly allocated to two groups: experimental group (anodal tDCS) and control group (sham tDCS). RESULTS: Statistically significant (p < 0.05) reductions in total movement duration and returning movement duration were found in both the paretic and non-paretic limbs in the group submitted to active tDCS. No significant differences were found in the control group for any of the variables analyzed. CONCLUSION: A single session of anodal tDCS over the primary motor cortex of the hemisphere ipsilateral to the brain lesion led to momentary motor improvements in both upper limbs of the children with spastic hemiparetic CP analyzed in the present study.

Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with upper limb functional training in children with spastic, hemiparetic cerebral palsy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the proposed study is to perform a comparative analysis of functional training effects for the paretic upper limb with and without transcranial direct current stimulation over the primary motor cortex in children with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy. METHODS: The sample will comprise 34 individuals with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy, 6 to 16 years old, classified at level I, II, or III of the Manual Ability Classification System. Participants will be randomly allocated to two groups: (1) functional training of the paretic upper limb combined with anodic transcranial stimulation; (2) functional training of the paretic upper limb combined with sham transcranial stimulation. Evaluation will involve three-dimensional movement analysis and electromyography using the SMART-D 140® system (BTS Engineering) and the FREEEMG® system (BTS Engineering), the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test, to assess functional mobility, the Portable Device and Ashworth Scale, to measure movement resistance and spasticity, and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory, to evaluate performance. Functional reach training of the paretic upper limb will include a range of manual activities using educational toys associated with an induced constraint of the non-paretic limb during the training. Training will be performed in five weekly 20-minute sessions for two weeks. Transcranial stimulation over the primary motor cortex will be performed during the training sessions at an intensity of 1 mA. Findings will be analyzed statistically considering a 5 % significance level (P ≤ 0.05). DISCUSSION: This paper presents a detailed description of a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind, clinical trial designed to demonstrate the effects of combining transcranial direct current stimulation over the primary motor cortex and functional training of the paretic limb in children with cerebral palsy classified at level I, II, or III of the Manual Ability Classification System. The results will be published and evidence found may contribute to the use of transcranial stimulation for this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ReBEC RBR-6V4Y3K . Registered on 11 February 2015.

The Parkinsonian Gait Spatiotemporal Parameters Quantified by a Single Inertial Sensor before and after Automated Mechanical Peripheral Stimulation Treatment.

This study aims to evaluate the change in gait spatiotemporal parameters in subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) before and after Automated Mechanical Peripheral Stimulation (AMPS) treatment. Thirty-five subjects with PD and 35 healthy age-matched subjects took part in this study. A dedicated medical device (Gondola) was used to administer the AMPS. All patients with PD were treated in off levodopa phase and their gait performances were evaluated by an inertial measurement system before and after the intervention. The one-way ANOVA for repeated measures was performed to assess the differences between pre- and post-AMPS and the one-way ANOVA to assess the differences between PD patients and the control group. Spearman's correlations assessed the associations between patients with PD clinical status (H&Y) and the percentage of improvement of the gait variables after AMPS (α < 0.05 for all tests). The PD group had an improvement of 14.85% in the stride length; 14.77% in the gait velocity; and 29.91% in the gait propulsion. The correlation results showed that the higher the H&Y classification, the higher the stride length percentage of improvement. The treatment based on AMPS intervention seems to induce a better performance in the gait pattern of PD patients, mainly in intermediate and advanced stages of the condition.