Acute Effect of Interferential Current on Blood Flow in Spastic Cerebral Palsy Children

Abstract Background: Decreased skin temperature observed among children with cerebral palsy is related to increased sympathetic vasomotor tone. The potential of abnormal sympathetic acti-vation in children with cerebral palsy has not received adequate attention. Interferential current electro stimulation changes the velocity of blood flow and the size of blood vessels. Aim of Study: The aim of the current study was to deter-mine the immediate effect of two different applications of interferential current on improving peripheral blood flow in children with cerebral palsy. Material and Methods: Thirty children with cerebral palsy enrolled in this study, their age ranged between 8 and 12 years. They were divided randomly into two matched groups; each group consisted of 15 subjects. The study group (A) received direct stimulation of interferential current while the study group (B) received peripheral stimulation of interferential current. All children received the study protocol for intensity: 10-20 m.A, frequency: 100 Hz and time: 20 minutes. Blood volume pulse amplitude was assessed for both groups using plethysmography sensor at big toe pretreatment, immediate post treatment and 15 minutes post treatment. Results: Data were statistically analyzed and compared. It was revealed a significant difference in blood volume pulse amplitude between the three measurements in group (A) and (B). There was no significant difference in blood volume pulse amplitude between group (A) and (B). Conclusion: It can be concluded that both interferential current direct sympathetic stimulation and peripheral stimu-lation had a useful and important therapeutic effect in improv-ing cutaneous blood flow in spastic cerebral palsy children, with no significant difference between the two applications.