Yearly motor function changes in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, including a COVID-19 behavioral restriction period.
Hitomi Nishizawa, Akinori Nakamura
PMID 39493690WHAT IT FOUND
In 12 ambulatory children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a year including COVID restrictions saw slower 10-meter running and larger calf circumference.
However, ankle flexibility unexpectedly improved by the year's end, likely due to resumed rehabilitation, rather than the decline seen immediately after restrictions.
Key findings
01The 10-meter running time was significantly slower in 2020 compared to 2019.
02Bilateral ankle dorsiflexion range of motion significantly increased in 2020 compared to 2018, contrasting with the worsening observed immediately after restrictions in a previous study.
03There were no significant differences in rising from the floor time, 6-minute walking distance, or North Star Ambulatory Assessment scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 12 participants, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The participants were still ambulatory, so results do not apply to non-ambulatory patients. Growth and natural disease progression confound the interpretation of changes in leg circumference and motor function. The study is retrospective and relies on medical records, with no control group other than the patients' own prior data. The authors note that the specific causes for the recovery in ankle range of motion cannot be clearly distinguished from spontaneous progression or other factors.
Declared interests
The study was supported by an Intramural Research Grant from the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that ankle range of motion improvements indicate that lockdowns are safe for Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. The improvement occurred after restrictions ended and rehabilitation resumed, while running speed declined during the restricted year, suggesting that the period of inactivity still caused functional harm.