Assistant professor Jill Heathcock, PT, PhD was recently awarded a grant of $2,507,290 by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, a division of the National Institutes of Health. The R01 grant supports a really exciting research study on intervention for infants and toddlers with motor delays and cerebral palsy. The Ohio State team also includes research scientist Xueliang (Jeff) Pan, PhD.
The project, “Daily and weekly rehabilitation delivery for young children with Cerebral Palsy” nicknamed DRIVE will last for five years and is an important collaboration between OSU and NCH.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder that is diagnosed in infancy or early childhood. CP is a common childhood disability affecting motor development, muscle coordination, body movement, and balance.. Researchers such as Heathcock believe physical therapy delivered early and at the optimal dose has the potential to improve the developmental trajectory of motor skills.
The goal of Dr. Heathcock’s randomized control trial is to find an optimal and precise dose of rehabilitation to improve motor skills, especially for children with severe motor delays. Just like determining the dose of medication, determining the best dose of rehabilitation might allow for better outcomes. Right now, there are various dosages for rehabilitation delivery, however there is no clear method to optimize the amount given.
To reach this goal, the trial consists of low, medium, and high frequencies of physical therapy. All sessions are two hours long, but the distribution of sessions are different per group.
“The methodology is very scientifically rigorous so we will have an answer about dosing to help families, patients, and clinicians make decisions about rehabilitation at the end of the DRIVE study,” says Heathcock.
The trial is currently accepting patients. Children who are 6-24 months of age with motor delay or cerebral palsy are eligible. For more information contact DRIVE study coordinator, Sarah Landry.
