Non-invasive brain stimulation enhanced motor learning and resting state functional connectivity in typically developing children and children with perinatal stroke

How non-invasive brain stimulation works is poorly understood. Advanced neurotechnologies are providing new opportunities to explore transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) mechanisms. Ironically, the developing brain is more “plastic” and highly capable of change, yet tDCS mechanisms are almost exclusive to adults. Though treatment options are limited, we recently demonstrated for the first time that tDCS and High Definition-tDCS enhance motor learning in healthy children. I will to learn an established neuroimaging method of analysis, FMRIB software (FSL), a comprehensive neuroimaging tool created at Oxford University and highly used for the analysis of tDCS, motor learning, and imaging projects in both healthy adolescents/adults and persons with stroke. This project will allow a resting functional connectivity baseline to be established in healthy children. The findings will be applied to our current CIHR-funded phase 3, multicenter, randomized, clinical trial on tDCS in children with perinatal stroke, the largest cross Canada clinical trial.

Faculty Supervisor:

Adam Kirton

Student:

Partner:

University of Oxford

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Other

University:

University of Calgary

Program: