Home-based exercise training in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A 12-month intervention study.
Stian Hammer, Maria Vollsæter, Michel Toussaint and 7 others
PMID 42112687WHAT IT FOUND
A one-year home exercise program was safe for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but did not significantly improve activity levels compared to standard care.
Upper limb function declined, while lung function and endurance remained stable.
Key findings
01The intervention group showed slight increases in physical activity, but these changes were not statistically significant compared to the non-intervention group.
02Upper limb function declined significantly over 12 months, primarily in shoulder and elbow movements.
03No adverse events were attributed to the exercise program, and serum markers for muscle damage remained stable.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was not randomized, meaning baseline differences between groups could have influenced the results. The sample size was very small, leading to low statistical power and a high risk of missing true effects. Participants were not blinded to the intervention, which may have introduced bias in self-reported outcomes. The non-intervention group was only assessed at the start and end of the study, limiting comparison of changes over time.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of significant between-group differences in physical activity as evidence that the exercise program is ineffective. The study was small and not randomized, so it lacked the power to detect modest benefits, and the primary finding is safety rather than efficacy.
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