Reproducibility of the Physiological Cost Index and the Total Heart Beat Index for Children with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of the Physiological Cost Index (PCI) and the Total Heart Beat Index (THBI) as walking efficiency in children with cerebral palsy. [Subjects] Subjects were 8 patients with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Mean ± SD of age was 11.3 ± 3.5 years. [Methods] We measured resting pulse rate, and walking pulse rate and distance during 10 min walking on the first day, and averaged each parameter obtained from these data. We executed 2 measurements on the first day and once more 3-7 weeks (second day) later. We examined the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and smallest detectable difference (SDD) in PCI and THBI on the first and second days. [Results] ICC_1,2 and SDD% were 0.55 and 80.8% for PCI, and 0.90 and 25.8% for THBI, respectively. [Conclusion] Because ICC_1,2 of THBI was higher than that of PCI and SDD% of THBI was smaller than that of PCI, these results suggest that the reproducibility of THBI is higher than that of PCI as an index of walking efficiency in children with cerebral palsy.