Your opinion: Neural stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy

Stem cells are an emerging therapy for various diseases and hold potential to treat cerebral palsy. 

Scientists are still in the early phases of research into developing neural stem cell therapy and research in human studies has not yet begun. It is extremely important to understand your opinion on this potential stem cell therapy, because there are no studies assessing cerebral palsy community perceptions. 

If you choose to participate in this survey, you will be presented with scientific information including text and figures regarding neural stem cells. We will ask you to evaluate this information followed by a series of questions that will ask for your opinion on specific aspects of the therapy. Outcomes from this survey will be used to inform future research, policy makers and clinicians, as we look towards translating neural stem cell therapy to clinical trials.

This confidential survey will be conducted online in English and will take approximately 25 minutes to complete. There is no time limit on this survey, and you may save and return to the survey as you wish. Once an answer is complete, you cannot return to that question. If you wish to stop the survey at any time, close your internet browser and your responses will not be included in this study.

Some questions are personal, including a question about the person you care for or your cerebral palsy diagnosis. Some participants may be uncomfortable with themes included in this survey, such as the discussion of how neural stem cells are obtained from fetal sources (elective abortions) and the concept of treating cerebral palsy with neural stem cells.

Some participants may find these themes distressing for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, results from animal research will be discussed.

Please read the information below and assess your eligibility to complete this survey. 

You may be eligible to participate in this study if you:

• are over 18
• are a permanent resident of Australia, US or Canada
• are an individual with cerebral palsy or the parent or carer of someone with CP
• are able to complete survey over the internet in English
• do not have a known intellectual disability

If you are interested in assisting with this important and exciting area of research, please use this link to confirm your eligibility, consent, and to complete the survey.