Effects of Aquatic Exercise Including Respiratory Muscle Strengthening on the Pulmonary Function in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Single-Subject Study

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of aquatic exercise, incorporating respiratory muscle strengthening, on the pulmonary function of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).METHODS: Three boys with DMD (aged 12-14), all of whom used wheelchairs, participated in a single-subject ABA design.The intervention involved a 40-minute aquatic exercise session once per week for 12 weeks, incorporating respiratory and abdominal strengthening exercises.The pulmonary function, which included the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), and peak expiratory flow (PEF), was measured at five time points: baseline, weeks four, eight, and 12 of the intervention, and at a four-week follow-up.The data were analyzed using the Friedman test