repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation with action observation training for rehabilitation of children with spastic cerebral palsy

Combined Intervention Training for Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy 

Cerebral palsy1 (CP) is one of the most common disabling disorders in children and is a group of persistent syndromes caused by non-progressive brain damage in developing fetuses and infants, including central dyskinesia, abnormal posture, and limited mobility. Currently, there are approximately 17 million children worldwide affected by cerebral palsy2, with over 5 million cases in China. Among various forms of cerebral palsy, spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) accounts for roughly 80%3. Children with SCP suffer from brain damage resulting in muscle spasms, diminished sensory function, impaired muscle coordination, and decreased balance capabilities, all of which hinder independent walking and daily activities. Current rehabilitation measures for enhancing gross motor function in children with SCP encompass activities such as core stability training4, task-oriented training5, constraint-induced movement therapy6, and mirror visual feedback therapy7. These measures can improve clinical symptoms of children by regulating and reshaping the central nervous system from bottom to top by improving the functions of peripheral organs. 
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)8,9 is a painless, non-invasive, and safe therapeutic method. rTMS refers to the continuous release of stimuli at equal intervals after a single command, which is one of the regular repetitive stimulation patterns. Based on the principle of electromagnetic induction and electromagnetic conversion, it applies transient currents through stimulation coils to form a pulsed magnetic field to penetrate the skull, generate induction current to stimulate neurons and trigger a series of physiological and biochemical responses. rTMS has been applied to the monitoring, evaluation, and treatment of neurological diseases, providing a novel approach to exploring the structure and function of the brain10. Existing studies11,12 have shown that rTMS has varying therapeutic effects on limb spasms and motor function in children with CP. Moreover, the effect of rTMS treatment combined with other rehabilitation techniques is more noticeable. 
AOT is a rehabilitation method that utilizes the Mirror Neuron System (MNS) to establish motor learning and memory13,14. The essence of AOT is to make the observer carefully observe actions in the video and subsequently try their best to imitate what they observed. The observing process might trigger activation in the neural network known as MNS, akin to the activation that occurs when one is personally engaged in executing those actions15, which provides a neurophysiological basis for AOT. AOT has shown success in improving motor skills in patients with movement disorders, yielding positive outcomes in stroke recovery and rehabilitation of upper limb motor function in cerebral palsy patients16,17. 
Our previous studies have found that AOT based on the mirror neuron system could effectively improve the balance and walking ability of children with cerebral palsy18. In addition, studies19 have shown that rTMS can improve muscle spasticity, movement, and gait in children with SCP, but treatment standards of rTMS applied to children with cerebral palsy have not been unified, and it is an urgent problem to explore the influence of different parameters of rTMS on children with CP, to provide a personalized and precise treatment standard. We believe that combining rTMS with AOT has the potential to develop into a valuable physical therapy strategy for the neurological rehabilitation of cerebral palsy. Both rTMS and AOT stimulated the cerebral cortex in children with SCP20, thereby aiding gross motor function development. This study aimed to find out whether the combination of rTMS and AOT could achieve a greater synergistic effect than conventional treatment or rTMS or AOT alone.

Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy

Repeated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Action Observation Training in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

This study is a product of real application of cerebral palsy in children. And the investing case, the clinic efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with movement observation training for the recovery of gross motor function. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is an important result in treating children with cerebral palsy, when movement observation training, and effectively relieve the specificity and enhance the motor function.Compared with one treatment alone, rTMS combined with AOT intervention can achieve better clinic efficacy. In this study, conventional treatments such as exercise, hydrotherapy, massage, as well as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy, movement observation training, and the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy combined with movement observation training, rehabilitation techniques were used.

Repeated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Action Observation Training for Rehabilitation of Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

repeated-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-with-action-observation

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

This study presents the results of a randomized controlled trial utilizing a 2 x 2 factorial design, comparing the effects of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and action observation training (AOT) intervention methods on spasticity, balance function, and motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP). The study aimed to investigate whether the combination of the two interventions produces greater improvement than either treatment alone or conventional treatment.
Subject children in this study, in accordance with the random number table, were randomly divided into four groups: conventional group, rTMS group, AOT group, and combined intervention group. All the children in the four groups received conventional rehabilitation treatment, on the basis of which they were given different therapeutic programs of rehabilitation measures. The conventional group had no other treatment while the rTMS group received rTMS, the AOT group received AOT and the combined intervention group was given a combined intervention of rTMS and AOT. They were trained five days per week for 12 weeks. Changes in scores of spasticity, balance function, walking ability, and gross motor function were assessed at the onset of the training program and upon completion of 12 weeks of treatment.
A total of 64 Children with SCP completed the study, and their results were analyzed. The total gross motor function efficiency of 87.50% in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of 25.00% in the conventional group, 62.50% in the rTMS group, and 68.75% in the AOT group. The preliminary results showed that combined intervention of rTMS and AOT could effectively improve the balance function and motor function of children, and the therapeutic effect of the combined intervention was better than that of conventional treatment, rTMS or AOT alone. Finally, clinical efficacy and optimal treatment parameters of the combined intervention were clarified to provide a clinical basis for therapists to conduct lower limb function rehabilitation for children with SCP.

Children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) have limb spasticity, movement disorders, and abnormal posture due to injury to the cerebral cortex motor area, resulting in inability to stand and walk normally. Therefore, alleviating limb spasticity and enhancing gross motor function in children with SCP have become important therapeutic goals.

This study presents the results of a randomized controlled trial utilizing a 2 x 2 factorial design, comparing the effects of repeated transcranial ...