Cortical hemodynamic response and networks in children with cerebral palsy during upper limb bilateral motor training

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Understanding functional brain activity is crucial for motor rehabilitation in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
• Cerebral palsy affects motor control and brain network organization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze cortical responses and networks in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and motor cortices (MC) of children with CP compared to typically developing children (CTD).
• To identify neurophysiological markers for evaluating motor function and the impact of motor activity on brain networks in CP.

Main Methods:

• Utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess brain activity.
• Analyzed cortical response and functional connectivity in the PFC and MC during resting and motor states.
• Compared brain activity patterns between children with CP and CTD.

Main Results:

• Children with CP exhibited increased resting cortical response in the dominant motor cortex (MC) and decreased functional connectivity between cerebral areas compared to CTD.
• During motor tasks, children with CP showed increased coupling strength from the dominant MC and a higher hemispherical autonomy index (HAI) of the dominant MC, indicating its leading role in motor regulation.
• Functional connectivity between bilateral MC positively correlated with motor performance in children with CP.

Conclusions:

• The study identified distinct patterns of brain activity and connectivity in children with CP.
• Findings suggest that the dominant MC plays a key regulatory role during motor tasks in children with CP.
• The identified indices can aid in evaluating motor function and the real-time effects of motor activity on brain networks in CP, informing rehabilitation strategies.