Main resea​rch ar​eas 

​​Early diagno​​sis​

Early and precise diagnosis can improve treatment and prognosis in children with brain damage. 

1. Early Diagnosis and Intervention Trial (CP-EDIT) enrolls children below 12 months of age with risk of CP to diagnose and follow early. 

2. Analysis and a fast-track evaluation in children with risk of stroke has been established and is being evaluated.

Development of CP ​​​ove​r time​​

Cerebral palsy (CP) brings a lifelong health and functional challenge for individuals with CP but no organized, specialized treatment offer exists for adults with CP. This is likely to be a contributing factor to the early decline in functioning in these individuals which is associated with infavourable participation. 

Based on recent knowledge about healthcare transition and informed by requests from the users and their families we establish a plan for our organization of the transition from child to adult with CP at the Department of Paediatrics at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. Our goal is to support people with CP to optimize their societal participation when they grow up and move from child- to adult services. The transition framework aims to identify, gather, coordinate, and enhance the resources available for the child and young adult with CP to optimize their health, and their functional and cognitive level by a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses, and medical doctors.

The intervention will be systematically monitored and evaluated with objective outcome measures of health care transition, physical- and mental health, and physical activity by the multidisciplinary research group connected to the transition clinic. 

Comorbidity i​​n CP​​​​

Research focus is in the many related comorbidities. 

1. Cognition. We have analysed school performance in children with CP and currently have a project with neuropsychological testing of adolescents with CP in Danish schools. 

2. Epilepsy. We have several projects related to severe and treatment resistant epilepsy including infantile spasms and epilepsy surgery. 

3. Several projects address nutrition and optimization of bone-and muscle health in children with neuromuscular disorders​​

Researchers​​​

• Mads Langager Larsen Post doc MD, phd

• Camilla Funch Uhre, Post doc Neuropsychologist, phd

• Lene Weber, phd student, physiotherapist

• Mette Johansen, phd student, physiotherapist

• Signe Vandal Pedersen, phd student, MD

• Julie Bolette Brix Bindslev, phd student, MD

• Marie Mostue Naume, phd student, MD 

• Ivana Novosel,  phd student, physiotherapist

• Urszula Maria Ciochon,  phd student, MD​
  

• Michelle Stadelhofer, post doc ME, phd​
  

Funding​​

• Mary Elisabeths Hospital / Rigshospitalet

• The Elsass Foundation

• Novo Nordisk Foundation

• Dagmar Marshalls Foundation

• Helsefonden
  

• Danske Fysioterapeuters Forskningsfond​
  

​Key collaborators 

• University of Copenhagen, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Science.

• The Elsass Foundation, CP-ADAPT collaboration

• CPOP, The Danish CP register, EACD

• Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet

• Center for Hjerneskade

• Filadelfia Epilepsy Hospital​
  

Actual ongoing projects​

• Cerebral Palsy - Early Diagnosis and Intervention Trial

• The impact of perinatal care on the development of cerebral palsy

• Diagnostic age for CP in Denmark

• School performance in children with CP

• Improving diagnosis, treatment and outcome in childhood stroke.

• Optimizing treatment in children with low skeletal muscle mass.

• CPCog – neuropsychological evaluation of children with CP

• Development of homebased training based on neuroplasticity for people with CP in transition rom child to adult.

• Investigating and testing new treatments for muscle contractures in adult cerebral palsy

• What is fatique in adults with cerebral palsy? What is it caused by and how can we measure it?