Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Cerebral Palsy (BOOSTTACS) (BOOSTTACS)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06372041 |
Recruitment Status :
Not yet recruiting
First Posted : April 17, 2024
Last Update Posted : April 17, 2024
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Tracking Information | |||||||||||||||||||
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First Submitted Date ICMJE | April 2, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
First Posted Date ICMJE | April 17, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
Last Update Posted Date | April 17, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
Estimated Study Start Date ICMJE | April 15, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
Estimated Primary Completion Date | March 14, 2026 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) | ||||||||||||||||||
Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE |
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Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE | Same as current | ||||||||||||||||||
Change History | No Changes Posted | ||||||||||||||||||
Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE |
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Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE | Same as current | ||||||||||||||||||
Current Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures |
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Original Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures | Same as current | ||||||||||||||||||
Descriptive Information | |||||||||||||||||||
Brief Title ICMJE | Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Cerebral Palsy (BOOSTTACS) | ||||||||||||||||||
Official Title ICMJE | tACS-combined Motor Training for the Rehabilitation of the Upper Limb in Children and Young People With Cerebral Palsy: a Randomized, Sham-controlled Trial | ||||||||||||||||||
Brief Summary | The present study aims to assess, through a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in enhancing the functional changes due to an intensive motor training in children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Particularly, in two different groups active or sham tACS will be paired with the Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy Including Lower Extremities (HABIT-ILE) and we will assess the effects on the upper limbs motor ability and daily functioning in 6 to 17 years old patients with CP having mild-to moderate upper limb deficits. The investigators hypothesized that, thanks to the intensive bimanual training, both the active and the sham group will improve in motor functioning. However, in light of findings showing that tACS effectively improves motor learning, the investigators hypothesized that active tACS might improve in a greater and more lasting extent than sham tACS the motor functioning. Moreover, as suggested by previous studies investigating the effect of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) in pediatric population, the investigators expected that the treatment will be safe and well tolerated. Such a result would encourage the use of NIBS to boost the rehabilitative training of motor abilities in children and adolescents with CP. | ||||||||||||||||||
Detailed Description | This represents one of the two RCTs of the project "Bottom-up and tOp-down neuromOdulation of motor plaSTicity in cerebral palsy" (BOOST; FRRB 3438840).The study will be a randomized, sham controlled, pre-test/post-test study involving 44 children and adolescents with CP. Patients will be treated in pairs, with a matching of motor deficit severity, IQ, or age. Each pair will be randomly assigned to the active or to the sham tACS group, stratifying the pairs between the two groups based on motor deficit severity, IQ, or age. Both groups will undergo a bimanual training in an ecological and highly motivating environment during the application of the tACS. During the training, starting from a set of proposals the choice of the type of activities to be practiced in each session will be left to patients, boosting the motivational aspect of the training. This will also ensure an individualized and goal directed approach. The therapists will monitor and modify the activities within each pair to ensure that the intervention maintains the quality of the individualized intervention. The positions performed during bimanual tasks and the activities of daily living will be designed to systematically engage postural control of the trunk and lower limbs according to Habit-ILE protocol. The rehabilitation treatment will be carried out for 5 consecutive days for 3h/day for 2 weeks (30 hours of intervention overall). Children and adolescents will be assessed before the start of treatment (T0), immediately after the end of intensive treatment (T1) and three months after the end (T2). The overall RCT will be structured as follows. In the first session prior the beginning of the training (t0), the RCT will include the administration of all clinical assessment measures and the patients will be asked to perform for 10 minutes an ad-hoc computer based Visuomotor task (please refer to the outcome sessions for more detailed description). Cortical rhythms will be recorded by electroencephalogram (EEG) both before (during rest) and during the execution of the Visuomotor task. Analysis of the resting-state EEG will be conducted to derive the Individualized Gamma Frequency (IGF), which will be matched to each patient's specific stimulation frequency delivered through tACS during the training. Patients will undergo the 10 days treatment. For each training day, the treatment will last three hours. During the first 20 minutes of treatment the active or sham tACS (according to the group allocation) will be delivered. Before starting and 20 minutes after the end of the stimulation the vital parameters will be checked. After the end of the stimulation, patients will be also asked to rate the sensations experienced during the stimulation through Visual Analogue Scales and through child-friendly Likert scales. Then, they will continue the training for the remaining session time without stimulation. Soon after the end of all the training sessions, patients will carry the t1 evaluation. As for the t0 session, this session will include the administration of the clinical assessment measures and execution for 10 minutes of the Visuomotor task. Three months after the end of the training (t2) the follow up assessment will be conducted, following the same exact procedure of t0. Primary outcomes will include the following clinical measures: the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA), the Box and Block Test (BBT) and the performance at the Visuomotor task. Secondary outcome will include the scores at the following tests: the Children's Hand Experience Questionnaire (CHEQ), the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66), the Melbourne Assessment-2 (MA2) scale, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale Version 2 (VABS 2), the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PEDS-QL), and the cortical rhythms registered via EEG at rest and during the Visuomotor task. Vital parameters (the oxygen saturation (SPO2) and the Heart Rate (HR)), and the scores at the questionnaires assessing stimulation- induced sensations will be also checked to assess the safety and the tolerability of the stimulation. Lastly, the feasibility and the acceptability of the training will be assessed by considering, respectively, the number of patients completing the training/the number of sessions for each patient and the response to ad hoc questionnaires for the patients and their guardians. All primary and secondary outcomes will be collected at each time point, except for the PedsQL and VABS-II, that will be administered only at T0 and T2. Furthermore, vital parameters and the questionnaires assessing stimulation-induced sensations will be examined during each stimulation session. The acceptability questionnaires will be administered only after the end of the training (t1). The patients and their guardians, the personnel responsible for conducting the bimanual training and analysing clinical data will be kept blind to the group allocation. Instead, the coordinator of the study, the staff who will apply the tACS will be "not blind". With respect to the clinical assessment, whenever possible the staff administering and scoring the scales will be blinded to group allocation. Questionnaire scores and neuropsychological tests will not contain personal information about the subjects, who will be identified by an alphanumeric code. All records that contain names or other personal identifiers, such as informed consent forms, will be stored separately from study records identified by code number. In order to uphold the overall quality of the clinical trial, instances of code breaks should be limited to exceptional circumstances, where knowledge of the actual treatment is deemed absolutely necessary for the ongoing management of the patient. The intensive treatment will take place at IRCCS E. Medea "Associazione La Nostra Famiglia" in Bosisio Parini (Lecco), at Fondazione Mondino IRCCS (Pavia) and at ASST Ospedali Civili di Brescia. This trial is supported by Fondazione Regionale per la Ricerca Biomedica (Regione Lombardia), project FRRB 3438840 BOOST "Bottom-up and tOp-down neuromOdulation of motor plaSTicity in cerebral palsy". |
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Study Type ICMJE | Interventional | ||||||||||||||||||
Study Phase ICMJE | Not Applicable | ||||||||||||||||||
Study Design ICMJE | Allocation: Randomized Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor) Primary Purpose: Treatment |
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Condition ICMJE | Cerebral Palsy | ||||||||||||||||||
Intervention ICMJE | Device: transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation
tACS will be performed by using a Conformite Europeenne (CE) marked stimulator device (Starstim ®, Neuroelectrics, Barcelona, Spain). By applying alternating current at the gamma frequency band (range 30-80), known to be associated to motor performance, tACS can entrain or synchronize neural oscillations in the targeted brain regions. By modulating cortical excitability of the cerebellum, a region strongly involved in motor learning and coordination, tACS is expected to influence the strength and coordination of motor responses elicited during the training. tACS will be delivered through two saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes (dimension: 25cm2 each), one placed over F3 (left frontal region) and the other over the right cerebellar hemisphere. The intensity will be set to 1mA, and this value will be gradually reached with a ramping-up phase of 30 secs. The frequency of the stimulation will match the IGF identified during the EEG recording performed at rest.
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Study Arms ICMJE |
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Publications * | Not Provided | ||||||||||||||||||
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline. |
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Recruitment Information | |||||||||||||||||||
Recruitment Status ICMJE | Not yet recruiting | ||||||||||||||||||
Estimated Enrollment ICMJE |
44 | ||||||||||||||||||
Original Estimated Enrollment ICMJE | Same as current | ||||||||||||||||||
Estimated Study Completion Date ICMJE | May 14, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||
Estimated Primary Completion Date | March 14, 2026 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) | ||||||||||||||||||
Eligibility Criteria ICMJE | Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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Sex/Gender ICMJE |
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Ages ICMJE | 6 Years to 17 Years (Child) | ||||||||||||||||||
Accepts Healthy Volunteers ICMJE | No | ||||||||||||||||||
Contacts ICMJE | |||||||||||||||||||
Listed Location Countries ICMJE | Italy | ||||||||||||||||||
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Administrative Information | |||||||||||||||||||
NCT Number ICMJE | NCT06372041 | ||||||||||||||||||
Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE | 944/B | ||||||||||||||||||
Has Data Monitoring Committee | Not Provided | ||||||||||||||||||
U.S. FDA-regulated Product |
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IPD Sharing Statement ICMJE |
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Current Responsible Party | IRCCS Eugenio Medea | ||||||||||||||||||
Original Responsible Party | Same as current | ||||||||||||||||||
Current Study Sponsor ICMJE | IRCCS Eugenio Medea | ||||||||||||||||||
Original Study Sponsor ICMJE | Same as current | ||||||||||||||||||
Collaborators ICMJE |
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Investigators ICMJE | Not Provided | ||||||||||||||||||
PRS Account | IRCCS Eugenio Medea | ||||||||||||||||||
Verification Date | April 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP |