Pediatric Teleneuromodulation

This study will explore using remotely monitored 'active' non-invasive brain stimulation in children with cerebral palsy. Participants will receive active non-invasive brain stimulation with synchronous safety monitoring and guided instruction with laboratory staff after appropriate training. Participants will be between 8-21 years old and have a diagnosis of hemiparetic cerebral palsy with a history of a perinatal stroke or brain bleed, and can expect to be in the study for 5 days.

Current exploratory single site open label unblinded trial, will assess the feasibility, tolerability, and safety of active tDCS in the home setting under caregiver, safety monitor and remote investigator supervision and direction. The study population will consist of 10 participants between ages 8 - 21 years and 365 days with hemiparetic cerebral palsy and a history of a brain bleed or stroke. An estimated 3.6 per 1,000 births in the United States are affected by stroke or brain bleeds which can lead to Cerebral Palsy (CP), a developmental disorder associated with motor impairment. While, the majority of rehabilitation approaches focus on behavioral repetition to improve gait and upper extremity function, these therapies can require extensive practice times and extent of recovery is variable. Thus, there is a need for novel strategies which can optimize rehabilitation outcomes for this population. Brain development during childhood is characterized by heighted neuroplastic potential stressing the importance for intervention methods that harness neuroplasticity. Accordingly, several therapies are theoretically based in mechanisms of motor learning and use-dependent plasticity. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), specifically transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), provides an approach for modulation of neuroplasticity that is safe, inexpensive, and portable. Furthermore, rehabilitation approaches combined with tDCS have shown promise to improve motor function recovery and quality of life after stroke in adults. Integrating the application of NIBS may allow for enhanced rehabilitation during the enhanced neuroplastic period of childhood and NIBS has demonstrated promising outcomes in increasing the rate and extent of recovery. The Pediatric Neuromodulation laboratory has shown that in children with CP the use of tDCS is safe, feasible, and successful at modifying motor performance when in combination with other physical therapy interventions. tDCS is not currently available to subjects without taking part in the study. In this study, investigators plan to administer tDCS in the remote setting during a synchronous zoom call with trained laboratory members. To ensure the device is safely used in the home setting only during designated times, in the presence of a trained safety monitor. The safety monitor will bring the device to the session, oversee the safety of its use, and take it back to the laboratory after the session is complete. This intervention has the potential to improve motor rehabilitation outcomes and can offer telehealth access, which may reduce treatment cost and improve access to limited access to clinic or hospital facilities. This study has the potential to set the foundation for larger clinical trials studies evaluating the efficacy of remote tDCS combined with rehabilitation interventions in children. Ultimately, this will contribute to a wider reach in improving quality of life across the lifespan in children with CP. On Day #1 there will be a practice stimulation montage setup assessment. Before their session, a GMFCS and pediatric cognition survey will be completed with the investigative team. All participants will be asked to view instructional videos on how to perform the procedures. Parent/child pairs will perform the assessment by walking through the steps with the guidance of the lab team member via videoconferencing. Efficiency and quality of setup data will be collected. A setup ease/comfort survey will be completed upon completion of the stimulation montage setup. Days 2-5 will consist of sham/active stimulation in the home setting under caregiver, safety monitor, and remote investigator supervision and direction. Status surveys inquiring well-being will be conducted before, during, and after stimulation as well as a Box and Blocks motor function tests. At any time the participant perceives discomfort while dosing to 1.5mA the investigators will adapt and modify the stimulation intensity. Protocol Amendment Approved 6/7/2023: addition of an optional 6 and 12 month study visit.