Comparison of cardiopulmonary performance of children/adolescents with disabilities on anti-gravity treadmill and arm ergometry

• Grant number: 19/22718-7
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): July 29, 2020
• Effective date (End): July 28, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal researcher: Ana Cláudia Mattiello-Sverzut
• Grantee: Gabriela Barroso de Queiroz Davoli
• Supervisor abroad: Tim Takken
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Utrecht University (UU), Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/04369-5 - Aerobic capacity, muscle strength and power of children and adolescents with chronic disease: characterization and treatment, BP.DD

Abstract

The mobility level of children/adolescents with disabilities impaired their level of physical activity, favouring a sedendary life style and reducing physical fitness (PF). Benefits effects of aerobic exercise on PF have been reported in children/adolescents with medium-high mobility. However, less is known about this in more impaired patients since the muscle mass involved in the task is an important factor to overload cardiorespiratory system. Therefore, the Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill (LBPP treadmill) is a device that allow training weak patients in standing position, due to reduction of body support. However, less is know about its effects on physiological responses of children/adolescents. The purpose of this study is to compare the physiological responses of children/adolescents with disabilities performing a maximal effort cardiopulmonary test while walking/running on a LBPP treadmill and those obtained while cranking an arm ergometry. For this, 54 children/adolescents with Duchenne muscular Dystrophy and Spinal Muscular Atrophy , attending at the neuromuscular outpatient clinic of the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center in Utrecht, the Netherlands are going to participate in two study visits, one or two weeks apart. In each visit patients are going to perform one maximal exercise tests (1) LBPP treadmill with 50% off body support and (2) arm ergometry. The tests order will be randomized. During the tests, physiological responses are going to be measured using a gas analysis system and a heart rate monitor. Pearson correlation coefficent (r) and the Bland-Altman statistic assess the relation between physiological variables obtained in each test and T-test is used to compare them. (AU)