Neurotechnologies to Help the Body Move, Heal and Feel Again
Background: In the United States, cerebral palsy (CP) affects 3-4 per 1000 live births (CDC) with hemiplegic cerebral palsy comprising 30% of cases. CP impairs the spontaneous use of the hand for daily manual activities, thus affecting functional independence and diminishing their quality of life. Current clinical tests only provide a qualitative assessment of performance via observation (i.e., a rating scale) or through perceptual judgment and/or they focus on the speed/time to complete the task. We have developed an objective activity-based measure of hand function in children, the Bead Maze hand function (BMHF) test (see the figure). The test has been implemented in typically developing children (Rose et al, 2024; American Journal of Occupational Therapy). Here, children are required to perform a multi-joint movement to complete an unimanual functional task of positioning and/or orienting the bead in relation to the wire. The forces imparted on the wire while maneuvering the bead and the test completion time are quantified. The test is designed to capture sensorimotor behavior for manual activities. We will study whether the BMHF test can be used to capture hand function in children with CP. We will also identify suitable biomarkers or predictors of impairment using advanced statistical methods.
Prerequisites: MATLAB programming