Article

The question under consideration was does cardiorespiratory training improve
aerobic fitness in children with cerebral palsy and is there any carryover into activity ?
The study design consisted of a systematic review of randomized trials
using the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. Participants were children of school
age with cerebral palsy. Intervention included cardiorespiratory training
consisting of activities conducted for an extended period, which were progressed
in terms of duration and/or intensity over time. Combination programs were
included if cardiorespiratory training comprised at least half of the program.
Outcomes had to include a measure of aerobic fitness, for example, peak oxygen
uptake. In addition, measures of activity that reflect aerobic fitness, for
example, 6-min Walk Test were also desirable. Three studies were identified which
randomized participants to cardiorespiratory training or no intervention in
addition to usual physiotherapy. A meta-analysis was not performed because of
lack of data. Therefore, the between-group differences are reported in terms of
percentage benefit. Short-term cardiorespiratory training (i.e. 2-4 months)
increased aerobic fitness by 18-22% and long-term training (i.e. 8-9 months) by
26-41% compared with no additional intervention. Short-term training (i.e. 2-4
months) increased activity by 0-13%, and long-term training (i.e. 8-9 months) by
2-9%. The conclusion is that there is limited evidence about the effect of
cardiorespiratory training in children with cerebral palsy.
The available
evidence suggests that training may improve aerobic fitness, but that there is
little carryover into activity.

Langue : ANGLAIS