ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effects of transcranial ultrasound (TU) on the sensory functioning of children with cerebral palsy (CP).Methods Sixty-seven children with CP were randomly divided into a TU group (n =33) and a control group (n =34).All of the children were given conventional rehabilitative treatment, but the children in the TU group also received TU stimulation at 1.2 W/cm2 for 20 min daily, 5 times a week.All the treatments continued for 3 weeks in both groups.Before and after the intervention, the latencies and amplitudes of N20 and P37 were recorded and the escape reflex threshold was measured using the Von-Frey method.Results Before the treatment there were no significant differences between the two groups.After the 3 weeks of treatment, significant differences were observed in the N20 and P37 amplitudes, but not in the latencies in the control group.In TU group, however, the N20 and P37 latencies were significantly shorter and the amplitudes were significantly improved after the treatment.So significant inter-group differences were found in terms of N20 latency and both N20 and P37 amplitude after the treatment.The average escape reflex threshold in the TU group was significantly lower than before treatment, but not significantly different from the control group's average.Conclusions Transcranial ultrasound can effectively shorten the latencies and increase the amplitudes of somatosensory evoked potentials, suggesting that it can improve somatosensory functioning in children with CP.