An ultrasonographic analysis of the activation patterns of abdominal muscles in children with spastic type cerebral palsy and in typically developing individuals: a comparative study.
Saviour Kweku Adjenti, Graham Jacob Louw, Jennifer Jelsma and 1 others
PMID 29992048WHAT IT FOUND
In children with spastic type cerebral palsy, ultrasound showed oblique and transverse abdominis muscles thicker at rest than in typically developing children, but their thickness decreased during activity.
Rectus abdominis increased like the typically developing group. This describes muscle activation, not a treatment effect.
Key findings
01At rest, all measured abdominal muscles were thicker in children with spastic type cerebral palsy than in typically developing children.
02From rest to activity, thickness increased in typically developing children and decreased in children with spastic type cerebral palsy, except rectus abdominis, which became thicker in both groups.
03During the active stage, thickness did not differ significantly between the two groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used convenient sampling from special schools and mainstream schools, so the children may not represent all children with spastic type cerebral palsy. Most children with spastic type cerebral palsy were hemiplegic and at the highest functional level, which limits generalisation to more severe or other subtypes. Children at the highest Gross Motor Function Classification System level were excluded because they could not perform the test manoeuvres. The researcher who analysed the ultrasound images was not blinded, which may introduce bias. The resting position on a plinth may not reflect true resting abdominal muscle thickness in children with neuromuscular deficit. The study measured muscle thickness only, not strength, electrical muscle activity, function, or response to therapy.
Declared interests
No funding was received.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that abdominal muscle exercises will improve trunk control. This study compared muscle thickness in two groups and did not test a therapy or measure function.