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Acute and Long-Term Changes in Blood-Borne Biomarkers in Response to Dynamic Standing in Nonambulant Children With
Tibor V Varga1, Åsa Andersson2, Katarina Lauruschkus3
1Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,Denmark.
Insights
Dynamic standing exercise may improve hormonal and inflammatory biomarkers in children with cerebral palsy. This study found reduced C-reactive protein levels after exercise, suggesting potential benefits for managing inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical science
- Exercise physiology
- Pediatric medicine
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder affecting movement.
- Nonambulant children with CP often exhibit dysregulated hormonal and inflammatory biomarkers.
- Understanding exercise responses is crucial for improving health outcomes in CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine acute and long-term changes in hormonal and inflammatory biomarkers.
- Investigate the effects of dynamic standing exercise in nonambulant children with CP.
- Assess biomarker alterations in response to a structured exercise intervention.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 14 nonambulant children with severe CP.
- Assessed anthropometrics, body composition, and physical activity via accelerometry.
- Administered 30-minute dynamic standing exercise using the Innowalk, collecting respiratory and blood data pre- and post-exercise, and after a 16-week protocol.
Main Results:
- Baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) and cortisol levels were elevated in all participants.
- A 30-minute dynamic standing exercise bout significantly reduced CRP levels (P = .04).
- Preliminary data suggest both acute and long-term biomarker alterations following exercise.
Conclusions:
- Hormonal and inflammatory biomarkers are frequently dysregulated in children with CP.
- Dynamic standing exercise shows potential for modulating these biomarkers.
- Further research in larger cohorts is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.
Purpose:
To investigate acute and long-term changes in hormonal and inflammatory biomarkers in nonambulant children with cerebral palsy in response to dynamic standing exercise.
Methods:
Fourteen children with severe cerebral palsy were recruited. Anthropometrics and body composition measures were obtained. Physical activity levels before the study were assessed using hip-worn accelerometry. All children underwent a 30-minute dynamic standing exercise using the Innowalk standing aid. Respiratory data during exercise were collected using indirect calorimetry. Blood samples were collected before and after exercise. Blood samples were also obtained after two 16-week exercise protocols, in a resting state. Hormonal and inflammatory metabolites were measured from blood serum/plasma, and acute and long-term changes in biomarker levels were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.
Results:
Of the 14 children at baseline, all had slightly/moderately/severely elevated C-reactive protein and cortisol levels. C-reactive protein levels were decreased following a 30-minute bout of dynamic standing (before exercise: 53 mg/L [interquartile range: 40-201]; after exercise: 39 mg/L [interquartile range: 20-107]; P = .04).
Conclusions:
We show that several hormonal and inflammatory biomarkers are dysregulated in children with cerebral palsy. Our preliminary results from a small, but deep-phenotyped prospective cohort indicate acute and long-term alterations of several biomarkers in response to exercise.
