Article

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a poorly understood disorder with no cure. We
determined the landscape of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for
CP-related research. METHOD : We searched NIH databases Research Portfolio Online
Reporting Tools Expenditures and Results, and Research, Condition, and Disease
Categorization for keywords 'cerebral palsy' among all NIH-funded studies, 2001
to 2013. We classified grants by type and area of study. RESULTS: NIH funding,
averaging $30 million per year, supported clinical ($215 million), basic ($187
million), and translational ($26.3 million) CP-related research. Clinical
intervention studies comprised 19% of funding, and focused on treatments ($60.3
million), early parent intervention ($2.7 million), and CP prevention ($2.5
million). Among grants that specified gestational age, more funds were devoted to
preterm ($166 million) than term infants ($15 million). CP in adulthood was the
main focus of 4% of all funding. Annual NIH funding for CP increased steadily
over the study period from $3.6 to $66.7 million. However, funding for clinical
intervention studies peaked in 2008, and has since decreased. INTERPRETATION:
Additional research funds are needed to improve the treatment and prevention of
CP. Topics that have been relatively underfunded include clinical interventions,
prevention, and term infants and adults with CP.
CI - (c) 2015 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS