Studying Muscle Changes in Children Aged 2 to 9 With Spastic Cerebral Palsy and Comparing Them to Typical Muscle Development

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how muscle development and growth are altered at the microscopic level over time in children with cerebral palsy CP. This study focuses on understanding the microscopic muscle properties in young children with CP and how these relate to larger muscle features, neuromuscular symptoms, and treatments like botulinum toxin BTX injections. The goal is to identify different CP muscle types and improve personalized treatment strategies. The study collects muscle biopsies using a minimally invasive needle technique, sometimes under general anesthesia during routine treatments like BTX injections or orthopedic procedures. Biopsies will be taken from children with CP at varying ages and treatment stages and from typically developing children during surgeries. The research includes analyzing muscle fiber size, satellite cells, collagen content, and genetic factors. One part of the study follows changes before and after BTX treatment over up to 1.2 years. Participants will undergo ultrasound muscle imaging, clinical assessments of spasticity and strength, and gait analysis. Muscle biopsies are collected at multiple time points for detailed microscopic examination. Researchers will measure changes in muscle fiber characteristics, muscle volume and length, and muscle activation patterns. Data will be used to define integrated muscle and symptom profiles and how they respond to treatments over the study period, which may last up to 1.2 years for some participants.

3D-Microscopic Muscle Architecture in Cerebral Palsy