An interventional study of Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy, sponsored by Riphah International University. Recruiting at 2 sites in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 8 Years to 16 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-21.
Sponsored by Riphah International University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Among 134 studies in Cerebral Palsy by Riphah International University — 37 open to participants now, 37 under way, none of them phase 3. Cerebral Palsy · Riphah International University.
Among the 134 studies in Cerebral Palsy by Riphah International University, this one is the 31st largest by planned enrollment of the 124 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 17 that started in 2026, is one of 124 with no phase, reaches primary completion later than 26 of the 36 other live ones, and was the 126th registered.
1,936 studies on the registry are indexed under Cerebral Palsy; 458 are open to participants now.
Browse Cerebral Palsy studies →37 of the 134 studies in Cerebral Palsy by Riphah International University are open now, in 1 country. Recruiting first, the newest first:
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
By country, each count listing its studies:
Of the 270 Cerebral Palsy studies recruiting now, 27 (10%) set no upper age limit and 235 (87%) stop at 75 or younger; 255 take children under 18; 51 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 8 Years to 16 Years · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.
The full table on the hub →This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
134 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2018; this study’s year is marked. 17 started in 2026.
This study's planned enrollment of 42 is above the median of 34 across 1,431 interventional studies indexed under Cerebral Palsy.
Median enrollment 30 across the 124 interventional studies, 108 across the 10 observational. Of the 88 that completed or were terminated, 0 (0%) have results posted.
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
Riphah International University is the lead sponsor of 2,193 studies on the registry; 650 are open to participants now.
8 of the studies in Cerebral Palsy by Riphah International University that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT07921186Riphah International UniversityComparison of Vestibular Stimulation and Core Stability Training on Sitting Balance in Hypotonic CP | 2027-03 |
| NCT07733570Riphah International UniversityEffects of Sensory Integration Therapy in Children With Spastic Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy | 2027-03-22 |
| NCT07921069Riphah International UniversitySensory Integration Therapy vs Conventional Physical Therapy in Children With Mixed Cerebral Palsy | 2027-04 |
| NCT07921147Riphah International UniversityTelerehabilitation Compared With Clinic-Based Physiotherapy in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy | 2027-04-05 |
| NCT07920965Riphah International UniversityVideo-based Visual Feedback Combined With Task-oriented Physiotherapy Among Cerebral Palsy | 2027-06 |
Among the 134 studies in Cerebral Palsy by Riphah International University, from their registry updates:
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
Children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy commonly experience difficulties with balance and may also have challenges involving attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that may influence motor-cortical excitability, while virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation provides repetitive, interactive, and task-oriented training.
This randomized controlled trial will investigate whether active tDCS combined with VR rehabilitation improves balance and executive functions more than sham tDCS combined with the same VR rehabilitation or conventional physical therapy in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.
A total of 42 children aged 8 to 16 years with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to active tDCS plus VR, sham tDCS plus VR, or conventional physical therapy. Participants will complete 18 treatment sessions over six weeks, with three sessions per week.
Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, after nine treatment sessions, and after 18 treatment sessions. Balance will be evaluated using the Pediatric Balance Scale and Functional Reach Test. Executive functions will be assessed using the Trail Making Test, Stroop Test, and Digit Span. Lower-limb spasticity will be evaluated using the Modified Tardieu Scale.
This study is a three-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effects of active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation on balance and executive functions in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. The active intervention will be compared with sham tDCS combined with the same VR rehabilitation and with conventional physical therapy.
Forty-two children aged 8-16 years with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III will be enrolled and randomly allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio, with 14 participants in each intervention arm. Outcome assessment will be performed by an assessor blinded to group allocation.
Participants in the active tDCS plus VR group will receive transcranial direct current stimulation at an intensity of 1 mA for 20 minutes per session using saline-soaked sponge electrodes, together with structured VR rehabilitation. The stimulation montage will target the lower-limb motor cortical region with a supraorbital reference electrode. Participants in the sham tDCS plus VR group will receive the same electrode setup and VR rehabilitation programme; sham stimulation will be delivered for the initial 30 seconds to reproduce the early sensory experience of active stimulation without continued therapeutic stimulation.
VR rehabilitation will include progressively challenging activities targeting postural control, balance, movement coordination, obstacle navigation, dual-task performance, visual attention, and cognitive-motor integration. Participants in the conventional physical therapy group will receive a structured rehabilitation programme incorporating lower-limb stretching, strengthening, balance training, gait-related activity, motor-control exercises, and progressive functional mobility training.
All groups will receive 18 sessions over six weeks at a frequency of three sessions per week. Assessments will be conducted before treatment at baseline (S0), after nine treatment sessions at the midpoint of the programme (S9), and after completion of 18 sessions (S18).
Balance outcomes will include the Pediatric Balance Scale and Functional Reach Test. Executive-function outcomes will include Trail Making Test measures of processing speed and cognitive flexibility, Stroop Test measures of inhibitory control and interference processing, and Digit Span measures of attention and working memory. Lower-limb spasticity will be assessed using the Modified Tardieu Scale as a secondary impairment-level outcome.
The study is intended to determine whether active tDCS provides an additional therapeutic effect when combined with VR beyond the effects of matched VR with sham stimulation, while also comparing the combined technology-assisted rehabilitation approach with conventional physical therapy.
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:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
participants will receive active transcranial direct current stimulation at 1 mA for 20 minutes combined with virtual reality rehabilitation, three sessions per week for six weeks, for a total of 18 sessions.
Device: Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation · Behavioral: Virtual Reality Rehabilitation
Participants will receive sham transcranial direct current stimulation using the same electrode setup as the active condition, with brief initial stimulation to mimic active tDCS, combined with the same virtual reality rehabilitation protocol, three sessions per week for six weeks, for a total of 18 sessions.
Device: Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation · Behavioral: Virtual Reality Rehabilitation
Participants will receive conventional physical therapy including lower-limb stretching, strengthening, balance training, motor-control exercises, gait-related training, and functional mobility activities, three sessions per week for six weeks.
Behavioral: Conventional Physical Therapy
Active transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered using saline-soaked sponge electrodes at an intensity of 1 mA for 20 minutes per session. Stimulation will be administered three times per week for six weeks, for a total of 18 sessions, concurrently with virtual reality rehabilitation. The stimulation montage will target the lower-limb motor cortical region with a supraorbital reference electrode.
Sham transcranial direct current stimulation will use the same electrode montage and setup as the active condition. Active current will be delivered only during the initial 30 seconds to reproduce the initial sensory experience of stimulation, after which stimulation will be discontinued while the electrodes remain in place. Sham tDCS will be combined with the same virtual reality rehabilitation protocol as the active tDCS group
Virtual reality rehabilitation will be delivered using an interactive motion-based rehabilitation system and will include progressively challenging activities targeting postural control, balance, movement coordination, obstacle navigation, visual attention, dual-task performance, and cognitive-motor integration. Training will be delivered three times per week for six weeks, for a total of 18 sessions. The same VR rehabilitation protocol will be provided in both the active and sham tDCS groups.
Also known as: VR Rehabilitation, Xbox Kinect-Based Virtual Reality Therapy
Conventional physical therapy will be delivered for approximately 30 minutes per session, three sessions per week for six weeks, for a total of 18 sessions. Treatment will include lower-limb stretching, supported balance and weight-shifting activities, strengthening, motor-control exercises, gait-related training, and progressive functional mobility activities. Exercise difficulty and therapist assistance will be progressed according to participant tolerance and functional ability.
Also known as: CPT
Pediatric Balance Scale Total Score
Functional balance will be assessed using the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS), a 14-item clinical measure of balance during functional activities. Each item is scored from 0 to 4, producing a total score ranging from 0 to 56. Higher scores indicate better functional balance. The PBS total score will be assessed at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention.
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0), after 9 treatment sessions (approximately Week 3), and after 18 treatment sessions (approximately Week 6)
Functional Reach Test Performance
Dynamic standing balance will be assessed using the Functional Reach Test (FRT). The primary FRT metric will be maximum forward reach distance measured in centimeters while maintaining a stable standing position without taking a step or losing balance. Greater reach distance indicates better dynamic balance. Completion time in seconds will also be recorded as an additional performance metric, with shorter completion time indicating better performance.
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0), after 9 treatment sessions (approximately Week 3), and after 18 treatment sessions (approximately Week 6)
Trail Making Test Part A and Part B Performance
Visual attention, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility will be assessed using the Trail Making Test for Children. Completion time for Part A and Part B will be recorded in seconds. Lower completion times indicate faster cognitive performance. The difference between Part B and Part A completion times (B-A) will also be calculated as an index of the additional cognitive-flexibility and set-shifting demand associated with Part B.
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0), after 9 treatment sessions (approximately Week 3), and after 18 treatment sessions (approximately Week 6)
Child Stroop Color and Word Test Performance
Inhibitory control and interference processing will be assessed using a child version of the Stroop Color and Word Test. Performance measures will include word-reading time, color-naming time, color-word interference time, and error score. Completion times will be recorded in seconds, with shorter times indicating faster performance. Fewer errors indicate better inhibitory control and response accuracy.
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0), after 9 treatment sessions (approximately Week 3), and after 18 treatment sessions (approximately Week 6)
Digit Span Test Raw Scores
Attention, short-term memory, and working memory will be assessed using the Digit Span Test. Raw scores will be recorded for Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward, Digit Span Sequencing, and the overall Digit Span Total Score. Higher raw scores indicate better attention and working-memory performance.
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0), after 9 treatment sessions (approximately Week 3), and after 18 treatment sessions (approximately Week 6)
Modified Tardieu Scale
Lower-limb spasticity will be assessed using the Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS) in the clinically more-spastic index limb. The assessment will characterize velocity-dependent resistance to passive movement across relevant lower-limb muscle groups. Measurements will include the angle of muscle reaction at fast stretch (R1), passive range of motion at slow stretch (R2), and the dynamic component of spasticity calculated as R2 minus R1, expressed in degrees. Quality of muscle reaction will also be recorded where applicable. The same designated index limb will be assessed longitudinally at all study time points.
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0), after 9 treatment sessions (approximately Week 3), and after 18 treatment sessions (approximately Week 6)
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared publicly because the study involves a pediatric clinical population and the consent and ethical approval were not designed for unrestricted external sharing of participant-level data. Aggregate and de-identified study results will be reported in the thesis and subsequent publications.
Started Sep 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Oct 2026, 1 month after the start.
Of 902 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Cerebral Palsy, half reached primary completion within 12 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 31. This study's planned 1 month is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 921 studies reached it within 12 months; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 31.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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