title: Role of exercise testing in the functional assessment of cerebral palsy children after botulinum A toxin injection.
abstract: The purpose of this clinical prospective study was to assess the effect of intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin A on energy cost of movement and walking endurance in 15 children with cerebral palsy, aged 4 to 13 years, by using incremental walking treadmill protocol to voluntary exhaustion. Oxygen-uptake response to exercise stress and endurance time were analyzed before and 2 and 6 months after botulinum toxin A injection. Endurance time was significantly improved 2 months after botulinum toxin A injection in 13 patients, and a residual improvement was still present 6 months after injection in some of them. The effect of botulinum toxin A on energy cost of movement was very variable. This study provides clinical evidence of the efficacy of botulinum toxin A in reducing the energy cost of movement and in improving the endurance of spastic muscles in children with cerebral palsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, CHR Citadelle, Liège, Belgium. Martial.Massin@chrcitadelle.be
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Allington
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009465:Neuromuscular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D009465:Neuromuscular Agents; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A; D010100:Oxygen