LAUSR

Objective Our goal was to evaluate functional state of central nervous system with transcranial magnetic stimulation in children under robotic rehabilitation therapy. Design 54 children (age 12–16) with neurologic deficits (23 with viral encephalitis sequelae and 31 with cerebral palsy), were enrolled. Patients were equally distributed to robotic rehabilitation group and controls. Interventions: 31 patient underwent 10 rehabilitation sessions on robotic rehabilitation device “MotionMaker”; 23 controls underwent excercise therapy and massage. All were twice evaluated by TMS (single pulse protocol): 1 day before and 1 day after the therapy. Neuro-MS-D stimulator and Neuro-MVP system were implemented, 90-sm round coil was used. Latency, threshold, duration and shape of motor evoked potential (MEP) and central motor conduction time (CMCT) were evaluated. Results In both groups threshold of MEP dropped at the second evaluation: in robotic therapy group average drop was on 42% (p0.05). Duration of MEPs in both groups expanded on 12%. CMCT, latency and amplitudes changes were insignificant in both groups. Conclusions Both treatment regimes raised functional activity of motor cortex; in robotic therapy group this effect was significant. There were trend towards more pronounced conductivity improvement in robotic therapy group. Robotic neurorehabilitation therapy proved to be more effective in treatment of children with neurologic disorders after viral encephalitis and cerebral palsy. Thus, neurorehabilitation in children may raise the functional state of central nervous system neurons, which may be measured by single-pulse protocol TMS.