2009 Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 155-160
Objectives: We investigated the potential of accelerated plethysmography (APG) to clarify the relationship of physical therapy with autonomic nervous system functions an serve as an objective means of assessment of physical therapy treatment. We collected and analyzed heart rate variability data of children with cerebral palsy before and after a physical therapy session and compared these with data of children without cerebral palsy. Subjects: Our study focused on 9 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) who attended elementary school at a school for children with special needs and 13 children of similar age who formed a control group with no known disabilities. Methods: Each child with cerebral palsy participated in a physical therapy treatment session centered on weight-bearing and posture-developing activities. We conducted an assessment of autonomic nervous system activity based on heart rate variability data from APG recordings taken before and after the session. We analyzed the ratio of low to high heart rate frequencies (LF/HF) and compared the results to those of children in the control group. Results: Prior to the therapy session, LF/HF for children with cerebral palsy was significantly less than that of children in the control group. However, the ratio increased significantly such that, after treatment, there was no significant difference between LF/HF of the two groups. Conclusion: APG recordings indicated that the autonomic nervous systems of children with cerebral palsy responded to physical therapy sessions such that the sympathovagal balance after each child’s session reached levels roughly equivalent to those of children without cerebral palsy.We believe APG may be useful in the assessment of the effectiveness of therapy of children with disabilities.
