Relationships between changes in parameters of the manual function and electroencephalogram, heart rate variability as well as gas discharge visualization in children with spastic cerebral palsy caused by the Kozyavkin method

Abstract

Introduction. It was reported earlier that in children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy (SFCP) after two-week course of rehabilitation by the Kozyavkin method the neural component of muscle tone (NCMT) was reduced in 79,3% cases, while in 13,8% cases changes were not detected and in 2 children even increased. It was assumed that such a variety of changes in NCMT is due to differently directed changes in the background activity of the nerve centers. Objectives. To analyse the relationships between changes (Ch) in NCMT as well as manual functional tests on the one hand, and parameters of EEG, HRV and Gas Discharge Visualization (GDV) on the other one. Material and Methods. The object of observations were 14 children (6 girls and 8 boys) aged 8÷15 years with SFCP. The state of motor development at GMFCS was on II÷IV level. The functional status of the hand with MACS was on II÷III level. The estimation of hand function was carried out by Dynamometry (D), Box and Block Test (B&B) and Nine Hole Peg Test (NHP). NCMT was also registered by the device ‘NeuroFlexor’ (Aggero MedTech AB, Sweden), HRV and EEG were tested simultaneosly by the hardware-software complex ‘Cardiolab+VSR’ and ‘NeuroCom Standard’ respectively (KhAI Medica, Kharkiv, Ukraine) as well as GDV by ‘GDV Chamber’ (‘Biotechprogress’, St-Pb, RF). Results. After two-week course of rehabilitation NCMT was reduced in 9 children from 19,8 ± 3,4 to 12,3 ± 2,8 Newtons (Ch: -7,5 ± 2,0 N), in 3 children NCMT was 8,2 ± 3,3 before and 7,9 ± 3,5 after rehabilitation (Ch: -0,3 ± 0,3 N) while in one girl NCMT increased from 15,1 to 17,9 N and in one boy from 6,1 to 19,4 N. Manual functional tests also changed ambiguously. The Ch in NCMT are correlated with Ch in parameters HRV&EEG (R2=0,786) as well as GDV (R2=0,556). The Ch in functional tests for the left hand are correlated with Ch in parameters HRV&EEG to the stronger extent (R2=0,931) and for the right hand the correlation is maximal (R2=0,997). As to GDV parameters, connections are weaker but they are also stronger for the right hand. Conclusion. In children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy caused by the Kozyavkin method, changes in manual functional tests and the neural component of the muscle tone are determined by changes in parameters of EEG and HRV as well as GDV which is a completely suitable non-invasive method for assessing the effectiveness of rehabilitation.