UCC announces groundbreaking research project on cerebral palsy to provide 'better outcomes' for children
Left: Foundation; Lead; Dr O'halloran, Rachel Economy Ireland Of Ger Were, Of Elevate Palsy Geraldine Lead; Executive Project Roche, The On Prof Director Tánaiste Director And Prof Cerebral Co Science At The Of Co Science Launch 6m €11 Mccarthy Picture: Boylan, From Research Murray, At Prof Martin; Foundation Deirdre Micheál John Ucc; The President Of Elevate Siobhan Byrne, Cerebral For Palsy
A cerebral palsy register is to be established for the first time in Ireland as part of a groundbreaking €11.6m research project.
It will track the rate of the condition here and enable access to the best research and clinical trials.
It was announced at University College Cork (UCC) on Friday at the launch of the five-year Elevate research programme on cerebral palsy — one of the single largest research projects into the condition ever undertaken here.
Science Foundation Ireland is investing €5m in the project, with some €6m coming from the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
The programme will be led by UCC's Infant centre, partnering with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, and all the tertiary-level maternity hospitals in Ireland.
The research team will be co-led by Prof Geraldine Boylan, a neurophysiologist and professor of neonatal physiology at UCC, and Prof Deirdre Murray, a consultant paediatrician and chair in early brain injury and cerebral palsy at UCC.
The team of experts in early brain injury will work to create cutting-edge AI screening algorithms, to devise new detection methods, and to explore potential new treatments.
It also hopes to identify risk factors of cerebral palsy early in the hope to reducing the severity of the disability when it does occur and, ultimately, target early interventions to proactively prevent complications.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin, who launched the programme, said it had the potential to transform lives and reshape the landscape of cerebral palsy research and care in Ireland.
Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood-acquired, lifelong physical disability, affecting about 17 million people worldwide. There is no known cure. It is caused by abnormal development or damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth.
About 150 babies are diagnosed with the condition here annually. Some 3,000 children and young people and 9,500 adults are living with the condition here.
Science Foundation Ireland's Dr Siobhan Roche said the research programme aimed to make Ireland a world-leading hub for research and innovation in early brain injury and cerebral palsy.
The potential impact of the Elevate programme is significant, with the active involvement of patients, clinicians and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation in this important research being key to improving the long-term outcomes for children and adults with early brain injury and cerebral palsy.”
Prof Boylan said families of those with cerebral palsy would be integral to their work.
“By enhancing the prevention, detection, and treatment of early brain injury and cerebral palsy in Ireland, we are dedicated to providing better outcomes for both the child and the family,” she said.