Transcranial direct current stimulation during treadmill training in children with cerebral palsy: a randomized...

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Pediatric Neurology
• Movement Science

Background:

• Impaired gait is a significant functional challenge for children with cerebral palsy (CP).
• Treadmill training shows promise for enhancing gait patterns in children with CP.
• Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may augment motor rehabilitation outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of tDCS administered during treadmill training on the gait patterns of children with spastic diparetic CP.
• To assess if tDCS enhances the benefits of treadmill training for gait improvement in this population.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 24 children diagnosed with CP.
• Participants were assigned to either an experimental group receiving active anodal tDCS (1mA) over the primary motor cortex or a control group receiving placebo tDCS.
• Both groups underwent ten 20-minute sessions of treadmill training.

Main Results:

• The experimental group demonstrated notable improvements in temporal functional mobility and various spatiotemporal and kinematic gait variables.
• These gait enhancements were maintained for one month following the completion of the intervention.
• A significant alteration in corticospinal excitability was observed in the tDCS group compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• Administering tDCS concurrently with treadmill training potentiates the positive effects of motor training on gait in children with spastic diparetic CP.
• This combined approach offers a promising strategy for improving gait function and corticospinal excitability in pediatric CP.
• The findings support tDCS as an adjunct therapy to enhance motor rehabilitation outcomes in children with CP.