Background:People with cerebral palsy (CP) are less physically active than the general population and, consequently, are at increased risk of preventable disease. Evidence indicates that low-moderate doses of physical activity can reduce disease risk and improve fitness and function in people with CP. Para athletes with CP typically engage in ‘performance-focused’ sports training, which is undertaken for the sole purpose of enhancing sports performance. Anecdotally, many Para athletes report that participation in performance-focused sports training confers meaningful clinical benefits which exceed those reported in the literature; however, supporting scientific evidence is lacking. The aim of this paper is to describe the protocol for an 18-month study evaluating the clinical effects of a performance-focused swimming training programme for people with CP who have high support needs.Methods:This study will use a concurrent multiple-baseline, single-case experimental design across three participants with CP who have high support needs. Each participant will complete a five-phase trial comprising: baseline (A1); training phase 1 (B1); maintenance phase 1 (A2); training phase 2 (B2); and maintenance phase 2 (A3). For each participant, measurement of swim velocity, health-related quality of life and gross motor functioning will be carried out a minimum of five times in each of the five phases.Discussion:The study described will produce Level II evidence regarding the effects of performance-focused swimming training on clinical outcomes in people with CP who have high support needs. Findings are expected to provide an indication of the potential for sport to augment outcomes in neurological rehabilitation.

中文翻译：

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评估以表现为重点的游泳训练对有高支持需求的脑瘫患者的影响——使用单例实验设计的研究方案

背景：与普通人群相比，脑瘫 (CP) 患者的体力活动较少，因此患可预防疾病的风险增加。有证据表明，中低剂量的体力活动可以降低 CP 患者的疾病风险并改善健康和功能。患有 CP 的残疾人运动员通常会参加“以表现为中心”的运动训练，其唯一目的是提高运动表现。有趣的是，许多残疾人运动员报告说，参加以表现为中心的运动训练带来了有意义的临床益处，超过了文献报道的益处；然而，缺乏支持的科学证据。本文的目的是描述一项为期 18 个月的研究方案，该研究评估以表现为重点的游泳训练计划对有高支持需求的 CP 患者的临床效果。方法：本研究将使用并发的多基线，三个具有高支持需求的 CP 参与者的单案例实验设计。每个参与者将完成一个五阶段的试验，包括：基线（A1）；培训阶段 1 (B1)；维护阶段 1 (A2)；培训阶段 2 (B2)；和维护阶段 2 (A3)。对于每个参与者，游泳速度、与健康相关的生活质量和粗大运动功能的测量将在五个阶段的每个阶段中至少进行五次。讨论：所描述的研究将产生关于以表现为重点的游泳训练对有高支持需求的 CP 患者临床结果的影响的 II 级证据。预计研究结果将表明运动有可能增加神经康复的结果。