Christopher A. Kirton

Contact via University of Calgary

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Recent Research Projects

CHILD-BRIGHT: Child Health Initiatives Limiting Disability- Brain Research Improving Growth and Health Trajectories

2015/16-2020/21 • $12,760,751 • PI,Other
The CHILD-BRIGHT network will achieve brighter futures for children with brain-based developmental disabilities (BDD) and their families by creating novel interventions to optimize development, promote healthy outcomes, and deliver responsive and supportive services across the life-course. Our...

Advancing Concussion Assessment and Treatment in Children and Youth

2015/16-2020/21 • $3,341,337 • PI,Other
Each year, millions of children sustain concussions/mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), and 15-25% suffer persistent symptoms and declines in quality of life. Clinicians caring for these children face three critical, unanswered questions: how to diagnose concussion, how to predict which...

The Alberta Perinatal Stroke Program: Neuromodulation to Optimize Outcomes

2015/16-2020/21 • $2,538,064 • PI
THE ALBERTA PERINATAL STROKE PROGRAM (APSP)NEUROMODULATION TO OPTIMIZE OUTCOMESSCOPECerebral palsy (CP) causes most lifelong disability, affecting over 50000 Canadian children1. Perinatal stroke is a leading cause of CP and, as a focal injury of defined timing, represents the ideal human model...

Genetic Insights to the Causes of Cerebral Palsy

2017/18-2020/21 • $600,524 • PI,CO
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical handicap in children. CP describes a group of diseases that affect the brain in early life. We are now starting to understand that our genetic code plays an important role in causing CP. Genetic testing is not done routinely for all...

RESTORE: Robot Enhanced Stroke Therapy Optimizes Rehabilitation

2018/19-2020/21 • $591,323 • PI,CO
Treatment after stroke often involves rehabilitation. Rehabilitation involves learning to move and feel again through intensive practice. It may require tens of thousands of repetitions of a particular movement to relearn it after stroke. Robots can help increase intensity as many therapists...

TICS: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Intervening in Children with Tourette's Syndrome

2018/19-2020/21 • $435,377 • PI,CO
Tourette syndrome (TS) is common. TS affects over 80,000 Canadian youth. Tics are the core symptom of TS. These are repetitive, sudden, semi-voluntary movements or sounds. In some children, these tics can be especially bad and require treatment. However, options are limited. Medications for TS...

Early intensive leg exercise to improve walking in children with spastic diplegia from encephalopathy of prematurity

2018/19-2020/21 • $403,713 • PI,CO
Children born prematurely are at risk of brain injury that can result in cerebral palsy, most often affecting the both legs. Current treatment is largely passive, including leg braces, repeated injection of a paralyzing agent (botulinum toxin) in muscles that are abnormally active, and surgery...

PLAY GAME: Post-concussion syndrome Affecting Youth: GABAergic effects of Melatonin

2013/14-2017/18 • $877,392 • PI,CO,Other
One in seven children will have had a concussion by age ten, and 11% of those children continue to have symptoms three months later. These symptoms, referred to as post-concussion symptoms (PCS), include headaches, fatigue, sleep disruption, mood and concentration difficulties. They often result...

PROMPT Identification of Cerebral Palsy: Primary-care Referral Of Motor-impaired children: Physician Tools

2014/15-2017/18 • $330,574 • PI,CO,Other
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability of childhood, affecting approximately 50-60 thousand Canadians. Pediatric professional societies and Canadian policies strongly endorse early identification of children with developmental disabilities, so that rehabilitation...

Intensive motor training after perinatal stroke to enhance walking

2012/13-2015/16 • $373,461 • PI,CO
Perinatal (around birth) stroke is devastating, because it permanantly affects a child for life. Almost all such children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), the most common cause of physical disability in children, of which approximately 70% have walking problems. Symptomatic treatment...

Patents