Comparison of the Effect of Rehabilitation on the Autonomic Nerve System between Children with Cerebral Palsy and Healthy Children

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of rehabilitation on the autonomic nerve system between healthy children and children with cerebral palsy (CP). [Subjects] The study subjects were 12 children with CP who were outpatients and 9 healthy children. [Methods] Rehabilitation was carried out mainly in terms of antigravity posture activity. The autonomic nerve system was evaluated by accelerated plethysmography before and after the rehabilitation. In the healthy children, the evaluation was measured only at rest. [Results] All the patients showed no change between before and after the rehabilitation. The patients were divided into two groups: the low-grade motor disability (LGMD) group and the high grade motor disability (HGMD) group. The HGMD group showed no significant difference between before and after rehabilitation. The LGMd group showed a significant difference between before and after rehabilitation (p<0.05). The result for the LGMD group was not significantly different from that of the healthy children. [Conclusion] Rehabilitation mainly in terms of antigravity posture activity is considered to be associated with the autonomic nervous system in children with CP.