Optical Stimulation in Peripheral Nerves for Select Rhizotomy Procedures (Rhizotomy)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children over the age of 3 and younger than 17 years
• Children who have failed appropriate medical therapy and are recommended for selective rhizotomy to treat spasticity by the pediatric neurosurgeon
• Children who would normally undergo electrodiagnostic testing including EMG monitoring for physiologic testing during surgery
• Surgery must be performed at the Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients in which a segment of the nerve (up to 2cm) cannot likely be identified at the time of surgery as determined by the pediatric neurosurgeon
• Children not undergoing routine selective rhizotomy for medically refractory spasticity as determined by the pediatric neurosurgeon
• Children who are medically unstable to tolerate an additional 20 minutes of experimental testing during the surgery
• Women who are pregnant will be excluded from this study