Translingual Neurostimulation in Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy in the Late Residual Stage. Case Study

Management of cerebral palsy is an actual problem of modern medicine. A new direction of neurorehabilitation, intensively discussed in modern science and practice, includes various types of electrical stimulation. Constant stimulation of the nervous system is one of the most popular ways to activate neural networks in order to activate the brain and initiate neuroplasticity processes. Participants in the experiment were children with cerebral palsy, spastic diplegia form at the age of 6 to 19 (n=6) (mean age 17,9 ± 5,6 years). All subjects underwent standard treatment, including massage, therapeutic gymnastics simulators, robotic mechanotherapy, etc., which lasted 20-25 minutes with neurostimulation of the brain (using a PoNS device). All subjects underwent a functional brain imaging (MRI) before and after neurostimulation course. Results indicate positive dynamics in all subjects: most of them learned walking without aids, decreased muscle tonus and improvement in balance, coordination function were noted. Neurostimulation with the PonS device combined with curative gymnastics (focused exercises), improves the efficiency of motor functions and development of motor skills. Functional MRI with an active paradigm, with proper and high-quality performance, is an auxiliary method of objective control of treatment effectiveness.

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