Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Risk of Falling in Cerebral Palsy Spastic Hemiplegic Children

With the decline of mobility comes a drastic increase in falling. However, people of all ages with cerebral palsy can fall easily due to imbalance issues and non-voluntary movements. Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) can experience a variety of sensorimotor impairments that impact balance, making excessive tripping and falling among the most common concerns for ambulatory individuals with CP. Approximately 53-97% of ambulatory individuals fall at least once per year, causing injury, embarrassment, frustration, activity avoidance, and isolation. Although a study of over 1000 children found fall frequency was highest in gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) level II, research has not explored if this holds across the decades of adulthood.

Inclusion criteria

• Age range between 8-12 years old.
• Classified on levels II and III of the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) (Palisiano et al.,1997).
• the ability to walk without the assistance of another individual for at least 12 months prior to the onset of the study, regardless of whether a gait-assistance device was needed (GMFCS level III) or not (GMFCS level II).
• (Pediatric Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go Test 'TUGT') and acceptance of the TDCS procedure.
• Ability to understand and follow simple instructions.
• Parent or guardian consent obtained

Exclusion criteria

• Orthopedic deformities, a history of surgery or neurolytic block in the previous 12 months,
• Diagnosis of epilepsy or having experienced convulsive crises (whether treated with medication or not) in at least the two years prior to the onset of the study, metal implants in the skull, or the use of hearing aids.
• Previous participation in a tDCS study within the past 6 months.