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Developmental Trajectories and Reference Percentiles for the 6-Minute Walk Test for Children With Cerebral Palsy

Alyssa LaForme Fiss1, Lynn Jeffries, Kristie Bjornson

  • 1Department of Physical Therapy (Dr Fiss), Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Rehabilitation Science (Dr Jeffries), University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Developmental Medicine (Dr Bjornson), Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington; Avery Information Services Ltd (Ms Avery), Orillia, Ontario, Canada; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Dr Hanna), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Rehabilitation Medicine (Dr McCoy), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.

Pediatric Physical Therapy : the Official Publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association
|December 18, 2018
PubMed

Insights

This study tracked the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in children with cerebral palsy, developing reference percentiles to aid intervention planning for improved walking capacity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric rehabilitation
  • Neurology
  • Biomedical engineering

Background:

  • Cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts motor function, affecting walking capacity.
  • The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a key measure of functional mobility in children.
  • Understanding developmental trajectories is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document longitudinal developmental trajectories of 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distances in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
  • To develop age-specific reference percentiles for the 6MWT across different Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels (I-III).

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 456 children with CP, aged 3-12 years and GMFCS levels I-III, participated.
  • Children's motor function was classified using the GMFCS.
  • The 6MWT was administered 2-5 times over a 2-year period to capture longitudinal data.

Main Results:

  • Longitudinal data revealed that 6MWT distances increase with age, with a subsequent tapering as children approach their functional limits.
  • These changes are relative to their specific GMFCS level.
  • Reference percentile graphs were generated to facilitate monitoring of changes over time.

Conclusions:

  • The established 6MWT longitudinal developmental trajectories and reference percentiles provide valuable tools for assessing functional walking capacity.
  • Interpretation of percentile changes can guide collaborative and proactive intervention planning for children with CP.
  • This research supports evidence-based strategies to enhance mobility and functional outcomes in pediatric CP.
Abstract

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