The Effect of Bilateral Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation versus Treadmill Training on Brain Activities, Gait Functions, Level of Participation and Enjoyment of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

BACKGROUND

Cerebral palsy (CP) possesses bilateral sensory-motor cortical excitability alterations. In past studies, researchers have applied unilateral anodal transcranial direct stimulation (tDCS) with inconsistent findings.

OBJECTIVE

Examining the effects of treadmill training with either unilateral or bilateral anodal tDCS stimulation on brain activities, gait, and body functions of children with CP.

DESIGN

Randomized-clinical-trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Eighty children with CP will be allocated into: treadmill/bilateral-tDCS, treadmill/unilateral-tDCS, treadmill/sham-tDCS, and treadmill groups. Additional 20 neurotypical children will be recruited for comparison.

INTERVENTION: Planned intervention will implement ten-sessions of treadmill training (50% of maximum-ground speed) either with unilateral-tDCS over left sensory-motor, or bilateral-tDCS over left/right sensory-motor areas. Brain activities, gait, body functions, and participation will be assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at one-month follow-up.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION: This study would contribute to extant findings on the use of tDCS stimulation in children with CP and to our understanding of the appropriateness of the planned outcome measures.