Funding for earlier detection of cerebral palsy
Earlier detection of cerebral palsy (CP) in children could soon be made possible, with the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide receiving more than $2.9 million to develop a better test for the condition.
Professor Jozef Gecz and聽Dr Clare van Eyk
Currently only half of children who have cerebral palsy receive a clinical diagnosis in their first year of life, but researchers involved in this collaborative project are hoping to change that by using state-of-the-art genomic technology to provide more accurate and earlier diagnoses.
鈥淎t least The aim of this national effort is to define early, robust and accessible genomic testing pathways to improve health outcomes especially for children in the first years of their life,鈥 said the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 Professor Jozef Gecz, who is a researcher with the Adelaide Medical School and is leading this study.
鈥Often misunderstood as complications due to brain injury at or around birth, people with cerebral palsy do not have equitable access to precision health of which genetic diagnosis is a major starting point.鈥
Five hundred children in 最新糖心Vlog with cerebral palsy will undergo genomic testing as part of the project, allowing the team of researchers to refine the clinical criteria used for genomic testing and identify new genetic causes of the condition.
鈥淲e believe the outcomes of this project could see up to 70 per cent of children with cerebral palsy diagnosed in their first year of life,鈥 said Professor Gecz.
Cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement or posture that affects motor function.
Every hour a baby is born with cerebral palsy and to date, there is no cure for the condition.
Currently, clinical diagnosis is often made based on signs and symptoms and the condition isn鈥檛 usually confirmed until a child is at least four years old.
"The aim of this national effort is to define early, robust and accessible genomic testing pathways to improve health outcomes especially for children in the first years of their life."最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 Professor Jozef Gecz
鈥淲e know from prior studies that there are children within CP cohorts who have conditions which can be reversed with targeted therapy, preventing a lifetime of disability. Early intervention is the key, but we can鈥檛 act early if it鈥檚 not being diagnosed in an accurate or timely manner,鈥 said the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 Dr Clare van Eyk, co-lead of the CP team at the Adelaide Medical School, who is also a chief investigator on this study.
This project is close to the heart of this study鈥檚 chief investigator Natasha Garrity, who lives with cerebral palsy and is a research assistant at the Cerebral Palsy Research Institute.
鈥淚t is wonderful that this technology may lead to an early diagnosis of cerebral palsy. While any intervention reduces the impact of cerebral palsy, the younger the recipient, the less their disability will negatively affect their lives and the lives of their loved ones.鈥
鈥淚 look聽forward to a time when this genomics technology in combination with current and emerging therapies can reduce the burden of CP to be negligible,鈥 she said.
The $2.9 million in funding has been secured through the Federal Government鈥檚 MRFF 2022 Genomics Health Futures Mission Grant and will be delivered over four years.
The MRFF is a $20 billion long-term investment supporting 最新糖心Vlogn health and medical research. The MRFF aims to transform health and medical research and innovation to improve lives, build the economy and contribute to health system sustainability.
Media contacts
Professor Jozef Gecz, Researcher, Adelaide Medical School, The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide.
Mobile: +61 (0)429 170 699 Email: jozef.gecz@adelaide.edu.au
Jessica Stanley, Media Officer, The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide. Mobile: +61 (0)422 406 351
Email: jessica.stanley@adelaide.edu.au