Strength and functional mobility in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Neuromuscular Function
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may experience neuromuscular complications.
• Assessing strength and functional mobility is crucial for monitoring treatment effects and guiding rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate tools for measuring neuropathy in pediatric ALL patients.
• Examine strength and functional mobility in children with ALL.
• Determine the relationship between strength and function in this population.

Main Methods:

• Pilot study involving eight children with ALL (ages 4-15) and age/gender-matched controls.
• Strength (knee extension, ankle dorsiflexion) measured by dynamometer.
• Functional mobility assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.
• Measurements taken before and during delayed intensification (DI) therapy.

Main Results:

• Children with ALL exhibited significantly lower knee extension strength, ankle dorsiflexion strength, and TUG scores compared to controls before DI therapy.
• Ankle dorsiflexion strength significantly decreased after 4 weeks of DI therapy.
• A strong negative correlation (-0.794, P=0.05) was observed between knee extension strength and TUG score in children with ALL.

Conclusions:

• Dynamometry and the TUG test are reliable for assessing strength and function in children with ALL early in treatment.
• Ankle dorsiflexion strength deteriorates during DI therapy.
• A significant relationship exists between muscle strength and functional mobility in pediatric ALL patients.