Diaphragmatic mobility in children with spastic cerebral palsy and differing motor performance levels.

The aim of this study was to compare diaphragmatic mobility (DM) and respiratory function between children with cerebral palsy (CP) and healthy controls (HC). CP was divided into non-ambulatory CP (NACP) and ambulatory CP (ACP). Eighteen children with NACP, 18 with ACP and 18 HC age between 8 and 18 years were recruited. Ultrasound was used to measure DM on both sides. Respiratory muscle strength (RMS), pulmonary function (PF) and chest expansion (CE) were also measured. The results showed that there was significantly lower right DM in CP than HC group. The NACP group had significantly lower DM than the ACP group. There were also significantly lower values of RMS, PF and CE in CP, compared to the HC group. There are significant impairments of diaphragmatic and respiratory function in CP, relative to HC. Thus, appropriate interventions to improve diaphragmatic muscle strength are necessary for children with CP, especially in the NACP.