Childhood ABI Fatigue Physiological Marker Study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Fatigue after acquired brain injury in children: physiological marker development study

• IRAS ID

  268831

• Contact name

  Ram Kumar

• Contact email

  ram.kumar@alderhey.nhs.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Alder Hey Children's NHS FT

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  Childhood acquired brain injury (ABI) is frequent affecting at least 300 per 100,000 children per year worldwide, often resulting in chronic disability. Fatigue is a common “hidden” disability after ABI affecting physical, cognitive, emotional and societal function in up to 75% of survivors. Clinical fatigue is incompletely understood at a pathophysiological level and often missed in clinics since it is invisible, difficult to measure, fluctuates, and relies on subjective report often by carers rather than the child. Quantitative neurophysiological markers of fatigue or related psychophysiological impairments are described in adults with ABI, but not used widely in clinical practice due to practical constraints; and not described in relation to fatigue in children. Developing reliable and valid neurophysiological markers of fatigue in children with ABI, which are low-cost and feasible to apply in routine clinical settings would aid treatment of fatigue and thus improve outcomes.
  The aim of this development study is to develop methods to identify candidate electrophysiological biomarkers of clinical fatigue in children with an acquired brain injury (ABI), which are feasible to apply in routine clinical settings. We will use CE-marked wearable technology for capturing EEG and peripheral autonomic system (heart rate, skin conductance) signals as potential biomarkers of fatigue in children suffering ABI-related fatigue and controls without. The signals will be recorded at rest and during a battery of cognitive tasks, which we will develop based on cognitive tasks in routine clinical use by clinicians treating children after ABI or those used previously in the experimental psychology studies in children which have not as yet entered routine clinical practice. We will optimise signal acquisition and characterise performance in the children against available standard methods.
  

• REC name

  North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  20/NW/0060

• Date of REC Opinion

  26 May 2020

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion