An observational study in Neuromotor Impairments, Cerebral Palsy and Microcephaly, sponsored by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 3 Months to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-21.
Sponsored by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Observational
The FBRI VTC Neuromotor Research Clinic was established and opened in May of 2013 to provide intensive therapeutic services to individuals with motor impairment secondary to neuromotor disorders. It is direct by Dr. Stephanie DeLuca and based on the principles surrounding ACQUIREc Therapy.
ACQUIREc Therapy is an evidenced-based approach to pediatric constraint-induced movement therapy, which refers to a multi-component form of therapy that is focused on helping children who have asymmetric motor abilities between the two sides of the body. Historically, ACQUIREc Therapy has the unimpaired or less impaired upper extremity constrained (by a cast or a splint) while also receiving active therapy from a specially trained therapist who shapes new skills and functional activities with the child's more impaired upper extremity but who is also a licensed Occupational or Physical Therapist (OT/PT). Therapy dosages are high much higher than tradition OT or PT - often lasting many hours per day, up to 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 2-4 weeks.
Investigators have developed further treatments based on the same principles of intensive services combined with behavior shaping for other areas of the body that are also affected by weakness (e.g., the leg and trunk) also, but which usually do not involve constraint. These have been more generally labeled ACQUIRE Therapy.
All forms involve intensive, play-based therapy for children with asymmetric motor impairments of the arms and hands. The primary focus of treatment is to facilitate the acquisition of new motor skills in the child's weaker body parts through high levels of intensive therapy using scientifically-based behavioral guidelines. Therapy is also delivered in naturalistic environments.
ACQUIREc Therapy as a treatment method has been tested in two randomized controlled trials, and a specific manual for its implementation has been developed. Dr. (s) Ramey and DeLuca previously founded a similar clinic, The Pediatric Neuromotor Research Clinic, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where Dr. DeLuca directed the research clinic for 13 years and oversaw the implementation of the ACQUIREc Therapy treatment protocol in more than 400 cases.
This research will involve analyzing and interpreting the clinical data of children going through clinical procedures at the FBRI VTC Neuromotor Research Clinic. All participation is voluntary and no children will denied services if families choose not to participate.
1,936 studies on the registry are indexed under Cerebral Palsy; 458 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 500 is above the median of 63 across 472 observational studies indexed under Cerebral Palsy.
Browse Cerebral Palsy studies →Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is the lead sponsor of 127 studies on the registry; 28 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Individuals with neuromotor impairment who want to try and gain motor skills and function
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Behavioral: ACQUIRE Therapy
Behavioral: ACQUIRE Therapy
Behavioral: ACQUIRE Therapy
Behavioral: ACQUIRE Therapy
Intensive therapy services combined with operant conditioning during treatment delivered by trained OT or PTs
Emerging Behaviors Scale
This is a measure of the number of skills a child uses from a set of 31 typical used on a daily basis
Time frame: up to 12 months
Assisting Hand Assessment
This is a measure of bimanual arm and hand use
Time frame: Within 1 week prior to treatment and Within 1 week after treatment
Pediatric Motor Activity Log
This is a parental report about a child's ability to use an impaired arm and hand on a daily basis
Time frame: Within 1 week prior to treatment and Within 1 week after treatment
Peabody Developmental Motor Scales 2
This is a measure of a child's motor abilities in comparison to typical development
Time frame: Within 1 week prior to treatment and Within 1 week after treatment
The Bayley Motor Scales of Infant Development -III
This is a measure of a infants's motor abilities in comparison to typical development
Time frame: Within 1 week prior to treatment and Within 1 week after treatment
Video Assessments
Videos of play and therapy sessions
Time frame: Within 1 week prior to treatment, during treatment, and Within 1 week after treatment
Plan to share: No — Data is released only with participant (parental/ guardian) permission
Started Jan 2013 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2029, 203 months after the start.
Of 214 non-industry observational studies under Cerebral Palsy, half reached primary completion within 21 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 60. This study's planned 203 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 218 studies reached it within 21 months; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 60.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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