NIH R01 · 2025
Cortical dystonia of prematurity
PROJECT SUMMARY Preterm birth is the most common cause of cerebral palsy (CP) in the US and, consequently, the most common cause of childhood dystonia, a disabling condition affecting 2 of every 1000 Americans. Despite its high prevalence, dystonia in CP remains difficult to treat because 1) it is hard to predict, preventing early treatment when it is most effective; 2) its neuropathology after preterm birth is unclear; and 3) few treatment targets exist. This proposal addresses these gaps by investigating a novel cortical cause of dystonia after preterm birth. We and others have shown that striatal injury, namely chronic excitation of striatal cholinergic interneurons (ChINs), causes…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.