Assessing the Efficacy of Alterations in Subcortical-Cortical Functional Connectivity From Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Older Children After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
State University of New York at Buffalo
Summary
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) often causes persistent motor and cognitive deficits in children resulting in functional limitations. We are testing a brain stimulation method along with evaluating objective tools to help record and restore communication among affected brain areas, which will facilitate recovery in youth after mTBI.
Description
About 1.9 million children sustain mTBI per year from sports injuries alone in the US. In about 30% of children, the cognitive-motor effects of mTBI interrupt typical neurodevelopment leading to chronic neurological conditions. The limited evidence available on mTBI suggests that residual symptoms may involve the brain stem (BS); the subcortical region that is now shown to influence cognitive-motor control. The BS also has functional interconnections to other cortical regions involved in cognitive-motor learning such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, and primary motor cor…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 10–15 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Experimental Cohort: Inclusion Criteria: * age 10-15 years at enrollment * enrolled after 6 weeks of mTBI injury * exhibiting post-concussive symptoms (e.g., difficulty planning, sequencing, and executing a motor action) * Sustained an mTBI or concussion within the past 12 months * Parent and child proficient in English Healthy Controls Cohort: Inclusion Criteria: * 10 to 15 years old * no concussion history * Parent and child proficient in English Experimental Cohort: Exclusion Criteria: * loss of consciousness \> 30 minutes * post-traumatic amnesia \> 24 hours * intracranial findings…
Interventions
- DevicetDCS in Youth with mild traumatic brain injury
The safety and tolerability of tDCS have been established in children with mTBI (1). A recent study of 13-18 year youths post-mTBI showed that three sessions of 1.5 mA anodal tDCS over the left DLPFC, positively influenced prolonged working memory deficits. (2) Additionally, rodent studies show the effectiveness of tDCS in improving cognitive-motor (motor planning and balance/gait) function in rats with mTBI. (3)
Location
- Ghazala SaleemBuffalo, New York