Cerebral Palsy Clinical Trials

The goal of this behavioral-interventional study is to learn if the Abecedarian Approach implemented virtually for children ages 0-5 with a history of Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and/or premature birth produces the same effects as when administered at in-person facilities. Read Less

Background: - Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disorder in children. CP often causes crouch gait, an abnormal way of walking. Knee crouch has many causes, so no single device or approach works best for everybody. This study s adjustable brace provides many types of walking assistance. Researchers will evaluate brace options to find the best solution for each participant, and whether one solution works best for the group. Objective: - To evaluate a new brace to improve crouch gait in children with CP. Eligibility: * Children 5 17 years old with CP. * Healthy volunteers 5 17 years old. Design: * All participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. * Healthy volunteers will have 1 visit. They will do motion analysis, EMG, and EEG described below. * Participants with CP will have 6 visits. * Visit 1: \<TAB\>1. Motion analysis: Balls will be taped to participants skin. This helps cameras follow their movement. \<TAB\>2. EMG: Metal discs will be taped to participants skin. They measure electrical muscle activity. \<TAB\>3. Participants knee movement will be tested. \<TAB\>4. Participants will walk 50 meters. \<TAB\>5. Participants legs will be cast to make custom braces. * Visit 2: * Participants will wear their new braces and have them adjusted. * Steps 1 3 will be repeated. * EEG: Small metal discs will be placed on the participants scalp. They record brain waves. * Participants will have electrical stimulation of their knees and practice extending them. * Participants will take several walks with the braces in different settings. * Visits 3 5: participants will repeat the walking and some other steps from visit 2. * Visit 6 will repeat visit 2. Read Less

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disorder that affects children. People with CP have weak muscles; they may have trouble controlling the movements of their arms and legs. Researchers have been developing braces called robotic exoskeletons for people with CP. These devices can adapt to the person s movements and help them move better. This natural history study will explore new technologies that may tell us more about how people with CP move and improve how these exoskeletons work. Objective: To test new technologies to measure people s movements and brain function while they move with and without a robotic exoskeleton. Eligibility: People aged 3 to 25 years with CP. Healthy volunteers are also needed. Design: Participants will have 3 to 5 clinic visits in 2 months. Participants will be fitted with an exoskeleton that will be worn on one of their legs. At each visit, participants will be asked to move their wrist, ankle, and knee while the following measurements are taken: Ultrasound. A bar will be placed against the skin. It will send soundwaves into the body to take pictures of the muscles. Electroencephalography (EEG). Participants will wear a cap with sensors. Their brain waves will be recorded. Electromyography (EMG). Small metal discs will be taped to the skin. They will measure electrical activity of muscle. Participants will flex and extend each joint (wrist, ankle, or knee) on one side of their body. These movements will be done on their own and while assisted by two devices: Functional electrical stimulation (FES). Small adhesive pads will be placed on the skin and electric. Pulses will stimulate muscles to help move the limb. This will be done for the wrist, ankle and knee. Robotic Exoskeleton. A leg brace will be placed on one limb with a motor that will help move the knee. The exoskeleton can be used with or without FES. Participants will also walk on a treadmill at their own pace. Photographs and videos will record how they move. Read Less

Background: New ways to study the brain as people move include near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG). NIRS uses laser light shone through the scalp to look at blood flow in the brain which increases with movement. EEG records electrical activity in the brain. Little is known about brain activity while children learn new motor skills. Researchers want to learn more about how small children with and without cerebral palsy use their brain to control their body. This may help them find new ways to help children move better. Objectives: To learn more about how infants and young children with and without cerebral palsy use their brain to move their arms and legs. Eligibility: Children ages 3 months - 5 years with and without cerebral palsy Design: Participants will be screened with: * Physical exam * Questions for the parents about the child s health Participants will have at least 1 study session. Some may have up to 34 (all optional). In the sessions, participants will do motor tasks along with some or all of the following: * Light sensors placed on the scalp, held there with a cap or Velcro straps. * Small metal disks placed on the scalp with a cap or straps, with gel between them. * Motion capture recording. Balls attached to the arms and legs by stickers, straps, or a garment are tracked by infrared and video cameras. Motor tasks include reaching, clapping, kicking, and standing. Participants may be placed in a toy or device that uses a motor to move their limbs. Participants head size, hair, and skin will be assessed. Parents will answer questions about their child s typical movements. Read Less

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of valbenazine versus placebo on improving chorea in pediatric and adult participants who have dyskinesia due to cerebral palsy (DCP) with choreiform movements. Read Less

Background: - Two ways to study the brain while people are moving are near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG). NIRS uses light to look at blood flow in the brain when it is active. EEG records electrical activity in the brain. Both have been used safely for many years, even in very young children. NIRS or EEG can be used while a person is moving to show which parts of the brain are the most active. Researchers want to use NIRS and EEG to study brain activity during movement in people with cerebral palsy and healthy volunteers. Learning more about how people with and without cerebral palsy use their brain to control their muscles may lead to new ways of training people with cerebral palsy to move better. Objectives: - To study how the brain controls body movement in people with and without cerebral palsy. Eligibility: * Individuals at least 5 years of age who have cerebral palsy. * Healthy volunteers at least 5 years of age. Design: * This study has three parts. People with cerebral palsy will be selected for all three. Healthy volunteers will be asked to do only two of them. Everyone who participates will have NIRS and/or EEG exams during movement. People with cerebral palsy may also have biofeedback sessions to train coordination of movement and brain activity. * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Urine samples may be collected. * All participants will have at least one session of NIRS and/or EEG imaging studies. Sessions may also include the following tests: * Magnetic resonance imaging to look at the brain * Electromyography to measure electrical activity of the muscles * Motion analysis of specific body parts * Ultrasound to measure activity of the muscles * Motorized, robotic, and electrical stimulation of the muscles * Other clinical tests of muscle movement as needed. * Participants with cerebral palsy will have biofeedback sessions. These sessions will help them learn to coordinate muscle movement and brain activity. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the acceptability and efficacy of Go Move, a mobile website developed to assist youth with unilateral cerebral palsy and their caregivers with setting goals and selecting exercises and activities to meet the goals. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * Is Go Move accepted by youth with unilateral cerebral palsy and their caregivers? * Does Go Move support goal attainment for youth with unilateral cerebral palsy? Participants will set up and participate in a goal-driven home program using the Go Move mobile website. Participants will spend 1 hour and 15 minutes per week for 6 weeks working on their home program and will complete pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments. Read Less

For children with severe cerebral palsy, a powered wheelchair (PWC) may provide their only option for functional mobility and independence. PWC use is often restricted to a small percentage of children who can quickly demonstrate proficient PWC skills within a single 30-minute PWC trial. This 2-arm, parallel group, single blinded, pre-test-post-test randomized controlled trial will test our hypothesis that an 8-week PWC skills training intervention will produce greater improvements in children's PWC skills capacity immediately after the intervention and at an 8-week follow-up assessment. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to understand if cognitive behavioral therapy can feasibly be provided to groups of adults with cerebral palsy and chronic pain via virtual group therapy sessions. Read Less

The study design will consist of a cohort of adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy (CP) that will undergo a gait training protocol. All participants will complete MEG baseline brain imaging measures of their sensorimotor cortical activity, MRI brain/spinal cord imaging (previous MRI or template brain may be substituted), neurophysiological tests of the spinal cord H-reflex, and a series of mobility clinical tests. After completing the baseline tests, the participants with CP will undergo the therapeutic gait training using either traditional physical therapy or utilizing a robotic exoskeleton. After completing all of the therapeutic gait training sessions, the participants will repeat the same assessments that were completed at baseline. The two groups will be compared based on the assessments for therapeutic outcomes. Read Less

The study objective is to improve accuracy in the early detection of neurodevelopmental impairment, especially CP, by evaluating the timepoint (in weeks post term age) that the Prechtl GMA is most useful for prediction of neurodevelopmental impairment at two years of age in children with and without medical complexity. The study team plans to recruit 100 healthy, term-born infants and 250 infants at risk of developing CP for a total of 350 enrolled infants. Read Less

The goals of this study: 1. Determine if a play based test of arm and hand movements is valid and reliable when conducted through telehealth for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. 2. Measure differences in parent, provider and child engagement when an assessment is conducted in-person compared to via telehealth. 3. Rate caregivers' overall impressions of procedures when an assessment is conducted in-person compared to telehealth. Participants will attend two visits, one in person and one through telehealth. During each visit, the child will play with common toys. The sessions will be video recorded and scored using two standardized assessments, the Melbourne Assessment-2 (MA-2) and the Assisting Hand Assessment. Read Less