Neuro-MoD: Neuroplasticity With Motor Development

Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) are electrical responses recorded from a muscle following a brief magnetic pulse delivered to the brain using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS). This outcome measures the proportion of participants in whom a reliable MEP can be elicited at baseline and serves as a measure of the feasibility of assessing corticospinal connectivity in infants with perinatal brain injury.

This outcome measures the proportion of planned spTMS assessment sessions that are successfully completed at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Completion rates will be used to evaluate the feasibility, tolerability, and practicality of conducting repeated spTMS assessments in infants and toddlers with perinatal brain injury.

MEP amplitude will be reported in millivolts (mV), measured from electromyography recordings of the target muscle.

The mini-AHA evaluates how effectively infants with unilateral upper extremity impairment use their affected hand during bimanual play activities. Scores are reported on a standardized 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating greater functional use of the affected hand and lower scores indicating less functional use.

This is a measure of movement, scored in several domains: dissociated movement (joint mobility), grasp (holding and manipulating objects), protective extension (reflex reactions), and weight bearing assessments. It is scored from 0 to 100 where higher scores mean better movement.

Change in QUEST score from baseline will be used to assess changes in upper extremity function following the intervention.

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Fourth Edition (Bayley-4) Fine Motor subtest evaluates fine motor skills, including reaching, grasping, object manipulation, and hand-eye coordination. Scores are standardized based on age and range from 1 to 19, with a normative mean of 10 and standard deviation of 3. Scores in the range of 8-12 are generally considered within the typical range for age. Higher scores indicate more advanced motor development.

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Fourth Edition (Bayley-4) Gross Motor subtest evaluates gross motor skills, including posture, sitting, crawling, standing, walking, and other age-appropriate movement abilities. Scores are standardized based on age and range from 1 to 19, with a normative mean of 10 and standard deviation of 3. Scores in the range of 8-12 are generally considered within the typical range for age. Higher scores indicate more advanced motor development.

The Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88) evaluates gross motor function across five domains: lying and rolling, sitting, crawling and kneeling, standing, and walking, running, and jumping. Items are scored on a 4-point scale and converted to dimension and total scores ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate better gross motor function and greater ability to perform age-appropriate motor activities.

Motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude measures the strength of the muscle response produced after a brief magnetic pulse is applied to the brain using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS). Larger amplitudes indicate stronger communication between the brain and the target muscle. MEP amplitude will be reported in millivolts (mV).

Motor-evoked potential (MEP) threshold is the minimum level of magnetic stimulation needed to produce a muscle response. Lower thresholds generally indicate that the pathway between the brain and muscle can be activated more easily. MEP threshold will be reported as a percentage of maximum stimulator output (%MSO).

Cortical map topography describes the location and distribution of brain areas that produce muscle responses when stimulated using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS). Changes in the size, location, or organization of these areas over time may reflect changes in brain connectivity and neuroplasticity.