Exploring Clinical and Neurophysiological Factors Associated with Response to Constraint Therapy and Brain Stimulation in Children with Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy.

BACKGROUND Perinatal stroke causes hemiparetic cerebral palsy (HCP) and lifelong disability. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) and neurostimulation may enhance motor function, but the individual factors associated with responsiveness are undetermined. OBJECTIVE We explored the clinical and neurophysiological factors associated with responsiveness to CIMT and/or brain stimulation within a clinical trial. METHODS PLASTIC CHAMPS was a randomized, blinded, sham-controlled trial (n = 45) of CIMT and neurostimulation paired with intensive, goal-directed therapy. Primary outcome was the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA). Classification trees created through recursive partitioning suggested clinical and neurophysiological profiles associated with improvement at 6-months. RESULTS Both clinical (stroke side (left) and age >14 years) and neurophysiological (intracortical inhibition/facilitation and motor threshold) were associated with responsiveness across treatment groups with positive predictive values (PPV) approaching 80%. CONCLUSION This preliminary analysis suggested sets of variables that may be associated with response to intensive therapies in HCP. Further modeling in larger trials is required.