Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy
Published on: November 3, 2016
Cerebral motor function in very premature-at-birth adolescents: a brain stimulation exploration of kangaroo mother
Cyril Schneider1, Nathalie Charpak, Juan G Ruiz-Peláez
1Clinical neuroscience and neurostimulation laboratory, Centre de recherche du CHUQ, Québec, QC, Canada. cyril.schneider@rea.ulaval.ca
Insights
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) improved adolescent motor function in very preterm infants. KMC positively influenced brain networks and synaptic efficacy, showing better outcomes than controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Prematurity can negatively impact long-term brain network development.
- Early interventions may mitigate adverse effects of prematurity on neurodevelopment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) influences brain motor function in adolescents born very prematurely.
- To assess the long-term effects of KMC on motor circuit integrity and interhemispheric communication.
Main Methods:
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) assessed motor cortex (M1) function and callosal pathways in adolescents.
- Participants included very preterm (<33 weeks GA) adolescents with (KMC) and without KMC, and term-born controls.
Main Results:
- KMC adolescents showed similar TMS outcomes to term-born adolescents and superior results compared to controls.
- KMC group exhibited faster M1 cell synchronization and interhemispheric transfer times.
- Enhanced inhibitory processes and interhemispheric control were observed in the KMC group.
Conclusions:
- Kangaroo Mother Care positively influences the development of premature brain motor networks up to adolescence.
- KMC enhances synaptic efficacy and functional connectivity in the motor pathways of very preterm individuals.
- Early KMC intervention demonstrates lasting benefits for neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm survivors.
Aim:
Given that prematurity has deleterious effects on brain networking development beyond childhood, the study explored whether an early intervention such as Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in very preterm preemies could have influenced brain motor function up to adolescence.
Methods:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) of 39 adolescents born very prematurely (<33 weeks' gestational age, 21 having received KMC after birth, 18 Controls with no KMC) and nine adolescents born at term (>37 weeks' gestational age, >2500 g) to assess the functional integrity of motor circuits in each hemisphere (motor planning) and between hemispheres (callosal function).
Results:
All TMS outcomes were similar between KMC and term adolescents, with typical values as in healthy adults, and better than in Controls. KMC adolescents presented faster conduction times revealing more efficient M1 cell synchronization (p < 0.05) and interhemispheric transfer time (p < 0.0001), more frequent inhibitory processes with a better control between hemispheres (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion:
The enhanced synchronization, conduction times and connectivity of cerebral motor pathways in the KMC group suggests that the Kangaroo Mother Care positively influenced the premature brain networks and synaptic efficacy up to adolescence.
