Corticospinal Excitability in Children with Congenital Hemiparesis

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be used as an assessment or intervention to evaluate or influence brain activity in children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy (CP) commonly caused by perinatal stroke. This communication report analyzed data from two clinical trials using TMS to assess corticospinal excitability in children and young adults with hemiparetic CP. The results of this communication revealed a higher probability of finding a motor evoked potential (MEP) on the non-lesioned hemisphere compared to the lesioned hemisphere (p = 0.005). The resting motor threshold (RMT) was lower on the non-lesioned hemisphere than the lesioned hemisphere (p = 0.013). There was a significantly negative correlation between age and RMT (r = -0.65, p = 0.003). This communication provides information regarding MEP responses, motor thresholds (MTs) and the association with age during TMS assessment in children with hemiparetic CP. Such findings contribute to the development of future pediatric studies in neuroplasticity and neuromodulation to influence motor function and recovery after perinatal stroke.