title: Assisted 6-minute cycling test: An exploratory study in children.
abstract: The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is frequently used as an outcome measure for clinical trials in neuromuscular disease. Because this submaximal endurance test is not feasible for nonambulatory patients, the motor-assisted 6-minute cycling test (A6MCT) was developed.
  
  
  
  Nineteen children with neuromuscular disorders and children with OXPHOS-dysfunction performed the a6MCT and the 6MWT to explore feasibility and construct validity. Test-retest reproducibility was evaluated within 3 weeks.
  
  
  
  The assisted 6-minute cycling test was feasible in 90% and 78% of the patients with a neuromuscular disorder and OXPHOS-dysfunction, respectively. The A6MCT for legs correlated with the 6MWT in both patient groups. The assisted 6-minute cycling showed good reproducibility for both legs and arms.
  
  
  
  This exploratory study indicates that the assisted 6-minute cycling test is a promising outcome measure for patients with a neuromuscular disorder and patients with OXPHOS-dysfunction. Muscle Nerve, 2015. Muscle Nerve 54: 232-238, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Nijmegen Centre for Mitochondrial Disorders at the Department of Paediatrics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dirks
authors.affiliation: Nijmegen Centre for Mitochondrial Disorders at the Department of Paediatrics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koene
authors.affiliation: Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Rehabilitation, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verbruggen
authors.affiliation: Nijmegen Centre for Mitochondrial Disorders at the Department of Paediatrics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Smeitink
authors.affiliation: Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Rehabilitation, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Merel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Nijmegen Centre for Mitochondrial Disorders at the Department of Paediatrics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Imelda J M De
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Groot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D028361:Mitochondrial Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009426:Netherlands; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: 6-minute walk test (6MWT); OXHPOS dysfunction in muscle; assisted 6-minute cycling test (A6MCT); neuromuscular disorders; outcome measure