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Can a six-week exercise intervention improve gross motor function for non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy? A
Elizabeth Bryant1, Terry Pountney, Heather Williams
1Chailey Heritage Clinical Services, Sussex Community NHS Trust, East Sussex, UK.
Insights
Exercise interventions using static bikes or treadmills showed short-term gains in gross motor function for children with cerebral palsy. These improvements in gross motor function were not sustained long-term.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders affecting movement and posture, significantly impacting gross motor function in non-ambulant children.
- Developing effective interventions to improve motor function in children with CP is crucial for enhancing their quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a six-week exercise intervention on the gross motor function of non-ambulant children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
- To compare the effects of static bike exercise and treadmill exercise against a control group receiving usual care.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 35 non-ambulant children (aged 8-17) with bilateral cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV-V).
- Participants were assigned to a static bike group, a treadmill group, or a control group.
- Exercise groups trained three times weekly for six weeks; assessments of gross motor function were conducted at baseline, six weeks, and follow-up at 12 and 18 weeks.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 Dimension E (GMFM-88D) scores were observed in both the static bike and treadmill groups compared to the control group at six weeks (P < 0.05).
- The mean change in GMFM-88D scores at six weeks was 5.9 for the bike group, 3.7 for the treadmill group, and 0.5 for the control group.
- No significant differences were found for GMFM-66 or GMFM-88E scores, and observed improvements diminished during the follow-up period.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary evidence suggests that static bike and treadmill exercises can lead to short-term improvements in gross motor function for non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy.
- Further investigation through large-scale randomized trials is warranted to confirm these findings and explore long-term effects.
Objective:
To determine the effect of a six-week exercise intervention on gross motor function for non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy.
Design:
A parallel arm randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Four special schools.
Participants:
Thirty-five children aged 8-17 with bilateral cerebral palsy; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV-V.
Method:
Participants were randomly allocated to a static bike group, a treadmill group or control group. Participants in the bike and treadmill groups received exercise training sessions, three times weekly for six weeks. The control group received their usual care. Blinded assessments were performed at baseline and six weeks and followed up at 12 and 18 weeks.
Outcome Measures:
Gross Motor Function Measures GMFM-66, GMFM-88D and GMFM-88E.
Results:
At six weeks significant differences were found in GMFM-88D scores between the bike group and the control group, and the treadmill group and the control group (P < 0.05). The mean change (SD) in GMFM-88D score was 5.9 (6.8) for the bike group; 3.7 (4.4) for the treadmill group and 0.5 (1.9) for the control group. No significant differences were found for GMFM-66 or GMFM-88E scores between the bike group and control group, or the treadmill group and control group, although trends of improvement were observed for both exercise groups. The improvements observed declined during the follow-up period.
Conclusion:
This study provides preliminary evidence that exercising on a bike or treadmill may provide short-term improvements in gross motor function for non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy. This needs to be tested in a large-scale randomized trial.
