GO-PLAY - Early Family-Centered Intervention for Infants With High-Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Summary

Background. Early diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) is important to enable appropriate intervention at a time when neuroplasticity is at its highest. Early intervention with focus on family-centered, home-based, parent-involved, and supervised by specialist therapists show positive cognitive and motor outcomes. This study adhere to international guidelines for early diagnosis and intervention, and include community therapists to ensure regular follow-up during and after the intervention period.

The aim of the current study is to compare the effectiveness of an early intervention program added to standard care, relative to standard care alone, on the early motor development in children from both a newborn and infant detectable risk pathway in a Danish multi-site setting.

Methods. In a randomized, controlled trial the response to the GO-PLAY (Goal Oriented ParentaL supported home ActivitY) intervention program added to standard care is superior to standard care alone is evaluated. The investigators will include infants from the Cerebral Palsy - Early Diagnosis and Intervention Trial (CP-EDIT registered separately at ClinicalTrials) and collect data at baseline, after intervention and at follow up when the children are 2 years corrected age.

The hypotheses are that the GO-PLAY intervention is more effective than standard care when the children are re-evaluated at the end of 6 months of intervention and that the parents involved in the GO-PLAY intervention will exhibit less signs of stress and anxiety and perceive the services that they are receiving as family-centered to a greater extent than parents of children receiving standard care.

Discussion. Approximately half of all infants with high risk of CP display high risk indicators identifiable by early screening before 5 months of age described as the newborn detectable risk pathway. The other half of all infants with CP are detected by parents, caregivers or health care professionals when displaying delayed motor milestones (e.g. hand asymmetry or not sitting at 9 months) and described as infant detectable risk pathway. There is a need to investigate if early intervention is effective in all infants with high suspicion of CP, also the ones with unremarkable neonatal history. Further, a systematic early intervention has not been tested in infants at high risk of CP in Denmark, where public health services include physiotherapy free of charge for infants with CP.

Conditions

• Cerebral Palsy

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

GO-PLAY

The intervention is family-centered, individualized, goal-directed, intensive, and carried out within the home environment. The GO-PLAY intervention will last for six months and consists of a home visit once a month and a virtual meeting by telephone or video once a month. The intervention will be family centered. Experienced physiotherapists and occupational therapists will be the primary therapists providing the intervention to ensure uniformity. The motor learning element of the intervention is based on the principles of motor learning and dynamic systems theory. Emphasis is on children's self-initiated actions, which are stimulated by meaningful and motivating activities and toys. The child's play preferences to elicit self-generated motor activity will be the underlying basis of the training. Minimal manual guidance is provided when needed and withdrawn when the child demonstrates self-generated ability to complete part of the task.

BEHAVIORAL

Usual care

Children will receive referral for rehabilitation in the municipality as usual. Standard care consists of the additional follow up assessments in CP-EDIT as well as rehabilitation offered by their local hospital/community or other private initiatives when diagnosed with CP or high risk of CP. The approach, frequency, and location (at home or rehabilitation centers) is varied according to the center's protocol and not possible to standardize.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Aalborg University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Aarhus University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Rigshospitalet, Denmark

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Christina Hoi-Hansen, Professor · Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Denmark

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

3 Months

Max Age

12 Months

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-04-01

Primary Completion

2025-09-30

Completion

2028-03-31

Countries

• Denmark

Study Locations