Active clinical trials for "Cerebral Palsy"

Cerebral palsy remains a major cause of lifelong disability affecting approximately 2 per 1,000 children. Of those about 30% have hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HPC),a unilateral impairment, which can often lead to major difficulties with manual dexterity and upper limb,functional ability and independence. Therapists employ a number of strategies in upper limb rehabilitation however they are poorly understood and their efficacy has been questioned. Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT)has been found to be an effective intervention with HCP however its use in the preschool child within a national health service (NHS) setting has not been evaluated. The investigators aim is to compare CIMT using prolonged restraint with CIMT using brief manual restraint which may be standard practice and acts as the control. This age group has been targeted as there may be greatest neural plasticity (change)and minimal disruption to compulsory education. The investigators intend to recruit 60 patients from treatment databases of participating trusts. Patients will be randomised following baseline assessments which will include 2 upper limb assessments(The Assisting Hand Assessment and the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test) and a quality of life questionnaire (PedsQL Generic Core Scales and the Cerebral Palsy Module) for parents. The intervention period will be for 6 weeks offered intermittently (2week blocks) over 10 weeks. Parents /guardians and possibly preschool workers will be expected to carry out a therapy guided programme. The amount of intervention and compliance will be recorded by parents/guardians and therapists. Assessments will be repeated at 10 weeks and 24 weeks from the beginning of the trial. The results of the trial will contribute to the evidence on the effectiveness of CIMT in the preschool child with HCP, and will also provide evidence on the implementation of CIMT delivery within the current NHS therapy services. .

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which Project TEAM (Teens making Environment and Activity Modifications) is an effective, socially valid, and feasible intervention that prepares youth with developmental disabilities ages 14-21 to respond to environmental barriers and increases participation in school, work, and the community. Project TEAM is a manualized intervention co- facilitated by a disability advocate and a licensed professional. The intervention includes eight group sessions and two experiential learning field trips. In addition, young adults with disabilities serve as peer mentors on field trips and contact youth weekly to support attainment of goals. Project TEAM outcomes are to: increase youths' knowledge of environmental factors and modification strategies; reduce the impact of environmental barriers on participation; increase self-efficacy and self-determination; and increase participation in a personal activity goal in the area of education, employment, or community life. This project builds on a participatory action research partnership with disability community stakeholders to address the following research questions: (1) To what extent do youth with disabilities participating in Project TEAM achieve intervention outcomes? (2) What are the characteristics of youth with disabilities who most benefit from Project TEAM? (3) To what extent are goals, procedures, and outcomes of Project TEAM important and acceptable (socially valid) to youth with disabilities?.

This randomized placebo-controlled trial aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of erythropoetin for children with cerebral palsy.

The purpose of this study will employ clinical assessment tools to examine the effects of modified constraint-induced therapy (mCIT) on the more affected upper extremity of children with cerebral palsy.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether injections of Botulinum toxin type A into muscles of the leg(s) are effective in treating children/adolescents (age 2-17 years) with increased muscle tension/uncontrollable muscle stiffness (spasticity) due to cerebral palsy.

What is the CHAMP Study? The CHAMP Study is a multisite clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health that is comparing the efficacy of alternative therapies for young children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (or hemiparetic cerebral palsy). Children who meet study eligibility criteria at one of the three clinical sites (Roanoke, VA; Charlottesville, VA, and Columbus, OH) will be invited to enroll, and their parents will be provided all necessary paperwork along with informed consent documentation. Assignment to one of the alternative therapy conditions will be random. Participation in the study includes assessment of each child prior to treatment, close monitoring of the child's progress during treatment, and post-treatment evaluation at the end of therapy, as well as, 6 and 12 months later. Parents will have an active role in the project, both observing their child during therapy sessions and then engaging in home-based activities that allow the child to practice and extend new motor skills. There will be no charge for the therapy provided. What are the therapies being tested? In the past decade or so, a new form of therapy for children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy was developed and has shown to produce positive changes in individual children and in small clinical trials (e.g., DeLuca, Echols, Ramey, & Taub, 2003; DeLuca, Echols, Law, & Ramey, 2006; Case-Smith, DeLuca, Stevenson, & Ramey, 2012). The therapy is named Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and refers to a multi-component form of therapy in which the child has the unimpaired or less impaired upper extremity constrained (by a cast or a splint) while also receiving active therapy from a specially trained therapist who shapes new skills and functional activities with the child's more impaired upper extremity. Traditionally, CIMT therapy dosages have been high - often lasting many hours per day, 5 days a week, for 4 consecutive weeks. There are important clinical and scientific questions that need to be answered about the effects of different dosage levels and about different types of constraint on the child's more functional (less impaired) arm and hand. This study will be the first that will directly compare different amounts of therapy and different types of constraint to evaluate what "works best" for young children. The therapy is very play-like and engaging for children, and no negative effects of casting or the high dosages have been detected in previous clinical trials. Who is eligible: Children between 2 and 8 years of age with a diagnosis of unilateral spastic cerebral palsy or hemiparetic cerebral palsy. Children must be relatively healthy, not currently receiving Botox (or other similar medications), and able to understand simple communication and instructions. In advance, the treatment will be explained in detail to parents and a written protocol available to share with the child's physician and other current therapist for review. During the one month of treatment, children will not receive other forms of physical or occupational therapy.

This open label trial is conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy of allogeneic umbilical cord blood (UCB) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for patients with brain injury or neurodegenerative disorders.

Spasticity is a motor disorder that can affect the lower limbs in up to 75% patients with cerebral palsy, having a significantly effect on their mobility and quality of life. There is much controversy about what is the most appropriate treatment of spasticity The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effects of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) compared to treatment with botulinum toxin to improve spasticity in patients with cerebral palsy The number needed of patients is 70 (35 per group). Leaving a period of washout between one therapy and the other

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Meditoxin® in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is condition, sometimes thought of as a group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking.Cerebral palsy is caused by injuries or abnormalities of the brain. Most of these problems occur as the baby grows in the womb, but they can happen at any time during the first 2 years of life, while the baby's brain is still developing.Bone marrow derived stem cells are known as a effective therapy. In this study the investigators evaluate the side effect of bone marrow stem cell transplantation in patients with cerebral palsy.