'Ground-breaking' €11.6m ELEVATE cerebral palsy programme launched at UCC

A ‘GROUND-BREAKING’ €11.6m research programme focused on cerebral palsy was launched at University College Cork (UCC) on Friday by Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

ELEVATE, a five-year initiative, will be led by the Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research at UCC, partnering with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, and all the tertiary-level maternity hospitals in Ireland.

The experts in early brain injury will create AI screening algorithms, devise novel detection methods, explore potential treatments, and involve families in trials, education, and information platforms.

Registry

A cerebral palsy registry will be established in Ireland, to track the rate of the condition, and enable access to the best research and clinical trials. The programme will be funded under the Science Foundation Ireland Strategic Partnership Programme and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation,

ELEVATE will be co-led by Professor Geraldine Boylan, a neurophysiologist and professor of neonatal physiology, and Professor Deirdre Murray, a consultant pediatrician and chair in early brain injury and cerebral palsy, both at UCC.

Prof Boylan said: “Families affected by cerebral palsy are integral to our work, guiding us at every stage". 

"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.”

The Tánaiste said that the programme “has the potential to transform lives and reshape the landscape of cerebral palsy research and care in Ireland”.

150 babies receive a cerebral palsy diagnosis in Ireland each year and 3,000 children and young people and 9,500 adults have it.

It is caused by abnormal development or damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth, and causes problems with movement, speech, and other body systems, with the effects worsened by delayed diagnosis.