Treadmill training may improve the walking speed and gross motor function of adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy, without adverse effects on spasticity.

The NQ is a valid and reliable questionnaire for screening HVS in patients with stable mild-to-moderate asthma.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire-AQLQ(S) in a sample of 160 Greek patients with asthma. Following evidence for sample-specific validity, the AQLQ(S) model was examined through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. An 18-item AQLQ(S) with the four factors of symptoms, activity limitations, sleep, and exposure in environmental stimuli fits the data (chi(2)/df ratio = 2.26, NNFI = 0.92, CFI = 0.94, SRMR = 0.05). The 18-item AQLQ(S) showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach' a coefficient ranged from 0.83 to 0.96) and high 9-week test-retest reliability (overall r = 0.88, ICC = 0.94). Responsiveness was confirmed throughout 2X2 ANOVA and 2X2 MANOVA, with respect to the total score (F = 42.30, P < 0.05), and the four AQLQ(S) factors (Wilks' lambda = 0.68, F = 17.59, P < 0.05). The cross-sectional correlations between the 18-item AQLQ(S) and the: (1) FEV1% predicted and (2) Borg scale were low and moderately high, respectively. In conclusion, the 18-item AQLQ(S) derived from exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis appeared to have sufficient construct validity, cross-sectional validity, responsiveness, satisfactory test-retest reliability and internal consistency evidence for the Greek sample of adults with asthma.

Breathing retraining resulted in improvement not only in asthma control but in physiological indices across time as well. Further studies are needed to confirm the benefits of this training in order to help patients with stable asthma achieve the control of their disease.

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