Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026
Calculating Heart Rate Variability from ECG Data from Youth with Cerebral Palsy During Active Video Game Sessions
Published on: June 5, 2019
Physical activity cost in children following an acquired brain injury--a comparative study
Robyn A Littlewood1, Peter S W Davies, Geoff J Cleghorn
1Children's Nutrition Research Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Queensland, Australia. s310501@student.uq.edu.au
Insights
Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) expend more energy during running activities compared to healthy peers. However, at comfortable paces, their energy expenditure for walking and running is lower.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Sports medicine
- Rehabilitation science
Background:
- Energy expenditure during activity post-head injury remains understudied due to measurement challenges.
- Acquired brain injury (ABI) can impact physical capabilities and metabolic function.
- Understanding energy demands is crucial for rehabilitation and activity planning in children with ABI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the energy expenditure during physical activity and body composition in children with ABI against a control group of healthy children.
- To investigate differences in energy utilization during standardized and self-paced activities.
- To assess the relationship between ABI and physical performance metrics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Cosmed K4b(2) device to measure energy expenditure in 15 children with ABI and 67 healthy controls.
- Assessed energy expenditure during rest, walking, and running conditions.
- Recorded the number of steps taken during a 3-minute run and measured body composition.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in energy expenditure was observed during walking between groups.
- Children with ABI showed significantly different energy expenditure during running compared to controls.
- Children with ABI took fewer steps during a 3-minute run, indicating altered running dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Children with ABI expend more energy per activity when controlled for velocity or distance.
- At self-selected comfortable paces, children with ABI expend less energy for walking and running than healthy controls.
- Findings suggest potential adaptations in energy utilization and physical performance following ABI.
Background:
Alterations in energy expenditure during activity post head injury has not been investigated due primarily to the difficulty of measurement.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to compare energy expenditure during activity and body composition of children following acquired brain injury (ABI) with data from a group of normal controls.
Design:
Energy expenditure was measured using the Cosmed K4b(2) in a group of 15 children with ABI and a group of 67 normal children during rest and when walking and running. Mean number of steps taken per 3 min run was also recorded and body composition was measured.
Results:
The energy expended during walking was not significantly different between both groups. A significant difference was found between the two groups in the energy expended during running and also for the number of steps taken as children with ABI took significantly less steps than the normal controls during a 3 min run.
Conclusions:
Children with ABI exert more energy per activity than healthy controls when controlled for velocity or distance. However, they expend less energy to walk and run when they are free to choose their own desirable, comfortable pace than normal controls.
