title: Short-term effects of erythropoietin on neurodevelopment in infants with cerebral palsy: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disabling condition characterized by the motor impairment, which is difficult to be ameliorated. In the brain of infants with CP, there are persistent pathomechanisms including accentuated neuroinflammation. Since erythropoietin was demonstrated to have neuroprotective effect via anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties, we hypothesized that the administration of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) could help children with CP, especially young infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the therapeutic efficacy of rhEPO for infants with CP, who had been undergoing active rehabilitation in hospitalized setting to eliminate treatment bias. Twenty infants with CP were randomly divided into EPO or control group equally. We compared the changes in the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II (BSID-II) scores during one month of hospitalization between two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The improvements after 1 month on the GMFM A and GMFM total scores differed significantly between the groups (p = 0.003, p = 0.04, respectively). However, the changes after 6 months were not different between the two groups. The scores of BSID-II did not show any differences at 1-month and 6-months post-treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that rhEPO could have therapeutic efficacy for infants with CP during the active rehabilitation and anti-inflammation was suggested to be one of its therapeutic mechanisms.
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
authors: Hee Song
authors: HS
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
authors: Junyoung
authors: J
authors: Song
authors: Yonsei Stem Cell Research Center, Avison Biomedical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Kyunghoon
authors: K
authors: Min
authors: Department of Applied Bioscience, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
authors: Yong-Soo
authors: YS
authors: Choi
authors: Department of Applied Bioscience, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
authors: Sun-Mi
authors: SM
authors: Kim
authors: Department and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Sung-Rae
authors: SR
authors: Cho
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Electronic address: kmin@cha.ac.kr.
authors: MinYoung
authors: M
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C554270:EPO protein, human; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin
keywords: Anti-inflammatory effect; Cerebral palsy; Neurodevelopment; Recombinant human erythropoietin