Effects of intermittent aerobic training on exercise capacity, pulmonary functions, and gait parameters in asthmatic children with cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial

G.S. Soliman, A.R. Azab, W.K. Abdelbasset

Department of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences in Al-Qurayyat, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyat, Saudi Arabia. gssoliman@ju.edu.sa

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• Pediatrics
• Physical Therapy
• Respiratory Medicine

OBJECTIVE: There is no evidence that exercise training program is effective in improving aerobic capacity, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and quality of life in asthmatic children with cerebral palsy (CP). Therefore, the effects of intermittent aerobic training on exercise capacity, pulmonary function, and gait parameters in asthmatic CP children have been evaluated in the current study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This clinical trial included thirty-six asthmatic CP children between January and December 2021. Their ages were between 7 and 12 years old. They were randomly allocated to the intermittent aerobic exercise group (IAEG) and a control group (CG), with 18 per each group. The children have been recruited for the 10-week interventional program. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), stride length, cadence, gait speed, and pediatric asthma quality of life (PAQLQ) were all measured before and after treatment.

RESULTS: Pre-post analysis in the IAEG showed noteworthy changes (6MWT, p=0.005; FVC, p=0.002; FEV1, p<0.001; overall score of PAQLQ, p<0.001; stride length, p<0.001; cadence, p<0.001; and gait speed, p˂0.001), while the control group showed non-significant changes (p>0.05). There were noteworthy differences between IAEG and CG post-treatment (6MWT, p=0.019; FVC, p=0.031; FEV1, p<0.001; overall score of PAQLQ, p=0.031; stride length, p<0.001; cadence, p=0.009; and gait speed, p<0.001) in favor of the IAEG.

CONCLUSIONS: Depending on the study findings, 10 weeks of intermittent aerobic exercise may improve exercise capacity, pulmonary function, gait parameters, and quality of life in asthmatic CP children. Based on what we found, this protocol should be used in pulmonary rehabilitation programs for children with CP who have breathing problems.

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