Anaerobic performance in children with cerebral palsy compared to children with typical development
Olaf Verschuren1, Désirée B Maltais, Danielle Douma-van Riet
1Brain Center Rudolf Magnus and Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine (Drs Verschuren and Ketelaar), University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Partner of NetChild (Drs Verschuren and Ketelaar), Network for Childhood Disability Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Rehabilitation (Dr Maltais), Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Practice for Pediatric Physical Therapy (Ms Douma-van Reit), Zuidwest Koudum, the Netherlands; Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care (Ms Kruitwagen), Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Insights
Children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit lower anaerobic performance compared to typically developing peers. This difference widens with increasing height, particularly in those with CP at Gross Motor Function Classification System level II.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Neuromuscular function assessment
- Child development research
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common childhood motor disorder.
- Locomotor abilities are crucial for daily functioning in children with CP.
- Anaerobic performance is a key indicator of physical capacity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare anaerobic performance between children with spastic CP and typically developing children.
- To investigate the relationship between anaerobic capacity and gross motor function in CP.
- To identify factors influencing anaerobic performance differences in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Muscle Power Sprint Test, a locomotor-based field test.
- Included 159 children with spastic CP (GMFCS levels I-II) and 376 typically developing children.
- Collected data on anaerobic performance, age, sex, and height.
Main Results:
- Children with CP demonstrated significantly lower anaerobic performance than their typically developing peers.
- The performance gap increased with greater height, especially for CP individuals at GMFCS level II.
- Height emerged as a significant factor modulating anaerobic capacity differences.
Conclusions:
- Children with spastic CP have impaired anaerobic performance.
- Gross Motor Function Classification System level and height are associated with anaerobic capacity deficits in CP.
- Findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve physical function in children with CP.
Purpose:
Using a locomotor-based field test of anaerobic performance, this study compared the anaerobic performance of children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) who walk without support with that of peers who are typically developing.
Methods:
The Muscle Power Sprint Test was performed by 159 children with CP (102 boys, mean age 9.7 ± 1.5 years; and 57 girls, mean age 9.5 ± 1.6 years) classified at Gross Motor Function Classification System level I (n = 115) or level II (n = 44) and 376 children with typical development (175 boys, mean age 8.9 ± 1.8 years; and 201 girls, mean age 9.0 ± 1.7 years).
Results:
The anaerobic performance of the children with CP was lower than that of peers with typical development.
Conclusions:
The difference between the 2 groups increased with height, especially for the children with CP classified at Gross Motor Function Classification System level II. Children with CP appear to have impaired anaerobic performance.
