Background: Research efforts to improve the pulmonary function of children with cerebral palsy (CP) need to focus on their decreased diaphragmatic ability compared to normal children. Real-time ultrasonography is appropriate for demonstrating diaphragmatic mechanisms.
Objects: This study aimed to compare diaphragm movement, pulmonary function, and pulmonary strength between normal children and children with CP by using ultrasonography M-mode. The correlation between general characteristics, diaphragm movement, pulmonary function, and pulmonary strength was also studied.
Methods: The subjects of this study were 25 normal and 25 CP children between five and 14 years of age. Diaphragm movement was measured using real-time ultrasonography during quiet and deep breathing. Pulmonary function (such as forced expiratory volume in one second; FEV1 and peak expiratory flow; PEF) and pulmonary strength (such as maximum inspiratory pressure; MIP and maximum expiratory pressure; MEP) were measured. A paired t-test and Spearman’s Rho test, with a significance level of .05, were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The between-group comparison revealed that normal children had significantly greater diaphragm movement, FEV1, PEF, MIP, and MEP (p<.05) than CP children. The results showed that general characteristics were significantly related to FEV1, PEF, MIP, and MEP (p<.05).
Conclusion: In clinical settings, clinicians need to concern decreased diaphragm movement, pulmonary function, and pulmonary strength in CP group compared to normal children.