APPLES early-childhood arm therapy for infants and toddlers with cerebral palsy
APPLES: Early Childhood Constraint Therapy for Sensory/Motor Impairment in Cerebral Palsy
This program teaches parents to use gentle arm constraint, 'sticky mittens,' and guided bimanual exercises by telehealth to help infants and toddlers with cerebral palsy improve use of their affected arm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11173757 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a parent of a child with CP, you'll be coached over video to deliver a home-based program called APPLES-tele that uses soft constraint, sticky mittens, and bimanual practice to encourage use of the affected arm. The team will start this program as early as 3 months of age and compares APPLES-tele to standard care and to a parent-centered coaching approach tailored for infants with CP. The study also tests whether added, evidence-based supports for parents improve how well families can deliver the intervention. Most training and follow-up visits are done remotely, making it possible to do much of the program from home.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Infants and young children with cerebral palsy who have limited use of an upper limb, beginning as early as 3 months and into toddlerhood, whose families can participate in telehealth coaching.
Not a fit: Children without cerebral palsy, those with only lower-limb involvement, families unable to use video conferencing, or children with medical instability or severe contraindications may not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help infants and young children with CP use their affected arm more smoothly and strengthen early brain sensorimotor development while being deliverable at home.
How similar studies have performed: Prior R01 work of APPLES showed improved upper-extremity function, cortical somatosensory responses, and reach smoothness in infants 6–24 months, while telehealth delivery and starting at 3 months are new elements.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maitre, Nathalie — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Maitre, Nathalie
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.