Structured home-based exercise program for improving walking ability in ambulant children with cerebral palsy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate outcomes after 8 weeks of a structured home-based exercise program (SHEP) for improving walking ability in ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD: Eleven children participated in this study (7 males and 4 females, mean age 10 years 3 months, standard deviation (SD) 3y) with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) I-III. This study used a prospective multiple assessment baseline design to assess the effect of SHEP upon multiple outcomes obtained in three different phases. Exercise intensity was quantified by OMNI-RPE assessed by caregivers and children. Outcome assessments of walking speed, GMFM-66 and physiological cost index (PCI) were measured four times at pre-intervention (Phase 1) and at 3-weekly intervals over eight weeks during intervention (Phase 2). Follow-up assessments were performed at one month and three months after intervention (Phase 3). Statistical analyses were repeated measures ANOVA and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: SHEP improved walking ability in children with CP, particularly for their walking speed (p = 0.01, Cohen's d = 1.9). The improvement of GMFM-66 scores during Phase 2 and Phase 3 had a large effect size, with Cohen's d of 1.039 and 1.054, respectively, compared with that during Phase 1 (p < 0.017). No significant change of PCI was observed (Cohen's d = 0.39). CONCLUSION: SHEP can be a useful intervention tool, given as a written, structured, and practical exercise program undertaken at home to achieve short term goals for improving walking ability when added to standard care.