Outcomes of intrathecal baclofen therapy in patients with cerebral palsy and acquired brain injury.

Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) has been known to reduce spasticity which did not respond to oral medications and botulinum toxin treatment. However, few results have been reported comparing the effects of ITB therapy in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and acquired brain injury. This study aimed to investigate beneficial and adverse effects of ITB bolus injection and pump therapy in patients with CP and to compare outcomes to patients with acquired brain injury such as traumatic brain injury and hypoxic brain injury. ITB test trials were performed in 37 patients (19 CP and 18 acquired brain injury). Based on ambulatory function, CP patients were divided into 2 groups: 11 patients with nonambulatory CP and 8 patients with ambulatory CP. Change of spasticity was evaluated using the Modified Ashworth Scale. Additional positive or negative effects were also evaluated after ITB bolus injection. In patients who received ITB pump implantation, outcomes of spasticity, subjective satisfaction and adverse events were evaluated until 12 months post-treatment. After ITB bolus injection, 32 patients (86.5%) (CP 84.2% versus acquired brain injury 88.9%) showed a positive response of reducing spasticity. However, 8 patients with CP had negative adverse effects. Particularly, 3 ambulatory CP patients showed standing impairment and 1 ambulatory CP patient showed impaired gait pattern such as foot drop because of excessive reduction of lower extremity muscle tone. Ambulatory CP patients received ITB pump implantation less than patients with acquired brain injury after ITB test trials (P = .003 by a chi-squared test). After the pump implantation, spasticity was significantly reduced within 1 month and the effect maintained for 12 months. Seventeen patients or their caregivers (73.9%) were very satisfied, whereas 5 patients (21.7%) suffered from adverse events showed no subjective satisfaction. In conclusion, ITB therapy was effective in reducing spasticity in patients with CP and acquired brain injury. Before ITB pump implantation, it seems necessary to perform the ITB bolus injection to verify beneficial effects and adverse effects especially in ambulatory CP.

Patients with non-ambulatory cerebral palsy have higher sclerostin levels and lower bone mineral density than patients with ambulatory cerebral palsy.

Bone loss is a serious clinical issue in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). Sclerostin has garnered interest as a key mechanosensor in osteocytes, leading to considerations of the therapeutic utilization of anti-sclerostin medications. This study was undertaken to determine associations among mechanical unloading, sclerostin levels, and bone imbalance in patients with CP. A total of 28 patients with CP participated in this cross-sectional study. The following measurements were taken: anthropometrics, clinical diagnosis of CP subtype and ambulatory status, bone mineral density (BMD) z-scores at the lumbar spine and hip, and blood biochemical markers, including sclerostin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin, C-terminal telopeptide, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, creatinine, calcium, and phosphorus. In analysis according to CP subtype, patients with spastic CP showed significantly lower BMD z-scores at the lumbar spine and femur neck regions than patients with dyskinetic CP. In analysis according to ambulatory status, patients with non-ambulatory CP showed significantly lower BMD z-scores at all lumbar spine and femoral sites, lower PTH and creatinine levels, and higher plasma sclerostin levels than patients with ambulatory CP. In regression analysis, ambulatory status was a significant determinant of plasma sclerostin levels. This study is the first to report on sclerostin levels and BMD in patients with CP, based on the hypothesis that patients who lack sufficient weight-bearing activities would show increased sclerostin levels and decreased BMD scores, compared with patients who sustain relatively sufficient physical activity. Therefore, this report may provide clinical insights for clinicians considering ambulatory status, sclerostin levels, and bone loss in patients with CP.

The effect of treadmill exercise on gait efficiency during overground walking in adults with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of treadmill walking exercise as a treatment method to improve gait efficiency in adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and to determine gait efficiency during overground walking after the treadmill walking exercise. METHODS: Fourteen adults with CP were recruited in the experimental group of treadmill walking exercise. A control group of 7 adults with CP who attended conventional physical therapy were also recruited. The treadmill walking exercise protocol consisted of 3-5 training sessions per week for 1-2 months (total 20 sessions). Gait distance, velocity, VO2, VCO2, O2 rate (mL/kg·min), and O2 cost (mL/kg·m) were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the treadmill walking exercise. The parameters were measured by KB1-C oximeter. RESULTS: After the treadmill walking exercise, gait distance during overground walking up to 6 minutes significantly increased from 151.29±91.79 to 193.93±79.01 m, and gait velocity increased from 28.09±14.29 to 33.49±12.69 m/min (p<0.05). Energy efficiency evaluated by O2 cost during overground walking significantly improved from 0.56±0.36 to 0.41±0.18 mL/kg·m (p<0.05), whereas O2 rate did not improve significantly after the treadmill walking exercise. On the other hand, gait velocity and O2 cost during overground walking were not significantly changed in the control group. CONCLUSION: Treadmill walking exercise improved the gait efficiency by decreased energy expenditure during overground walking in adults with CP. Therefore, treadmill walking exercise can be an important method for gait training in adults with CP who have higher energy expenditure.

Adults with spastic cerebral palsy have lower bone mass than those with dyskinetic cerebral palsy.

Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) are known to have low bone mass with an increased risk of fragility fracture. CP is classified into two major types: spastic (pyramidal) and dyskinetic (extrapyramidal). Spastic CP is the most common and is characterized by muscle hypertonicity and impaired neuromuscular control. By contrast, dyskinetic CP is characterized by mixed muscle tone with involuntary movements. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between bone metabolism and subtype of CP. Fifty-eight adults with CP (aged 18 to 49years, mean age 33.2years; 32 men, 26 women) were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Lumbar spine and femoral bone mineral density (BMD) Z-scores were measured. Bone markers, including C-telopeptide of type I collagen (CTx) and osteocalcin (OCN), were also analyzed. Among these participants, 30 had spastic CP and 28 had dyskinetic CP. The Z-scores of lumbar spine BMD did not differ between the two types. However, the Z-scores of femur trochanteric BMD were significantly lower in participants with spastic CP than in those with dyskinetic CP (-1.6±1.2 vs. -0.9±1.1, p<0.05). Seventy-four percent of participants with either type of CP had abnormally elevated CTx, while about 90% of participants showed normal OCN levels. When participants were subclassified into nonambulatory and ambulatory groups, the nonambulatory group had significantly lower BMD in the femur, including the trochanteric and total regions, whether they were spastic or dyskinetic (p<0.05). Because the type of CP affects bone mass, nonambulatory spastic CP participants showed the lowest total hip region BMD among the four groups. These results reveal that reduced weight bearing and immobility related to CP cause a negative bone balance because of increased bone resorption, which leads to a lower bone mass. In addition, hypertonicity of the affected limbs in participants with spastic CP resulted in lower bone mass than in those with dyskinetic CP. Type of CP and degree of ambulatory function in adults with CP should be regarded as important factors affecting bone metabolism.

Factors affecting bone mineral density in adults with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify factors affecting bone mineral density (BMD) in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD: Thirty-five patients with CP participated in this study. Demographic data including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), subtype according to neuromotor type and topographical distribution, ambulatory function, and functional independence measure (FIM) were investigated. The BMD of the lumbar spine and femur were measured using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and the factors affecting BMD were analyzed. RESULTS: The BMD had no significant association with factors such as gender, age, and subtype in adults with CP. However, BMI was significantly correlated with the BMD of lumbar spine and femur (p<0.05). The FIM score was also positively correlated with the BMD of femur (p<0.05). Moreover, CP patients with higher ambulatory function had significantly higher BMD of femur (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that BMI and functional levels such as FIM and ambulatory function can affect BMD in adults with CP. The results might be used as basic data, suggesting the importance of treatment including weight bearing exercise and gait training in adults with CP.