Thesis (M.S.)--Wisconsin. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-57).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1990. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [325]-343).

Thirty-six myelomeningocele children with hydrocephalus (between 9-16 years of age) were evaluated on a battery of neuropsychological tests and behavioural measures. The children obtained a FSIQ on the WISC-R of greater than 60 and all were attending school on a regular basis. Results showed that the myelomeningocele children, as a group, performed as well as the normative sample on measures of auditory comprehension, fine motor speed, accuracy on a visuomotor speeded task, stereognosis, and single-word reading. Although there was substantial variability within the myelomeningocele sample in terms of level of cognitive performance, as a group, with the exception of the above mentioned measures, they performed below the level expected for their age on the remaining measures in the neuropsychological test battery (83.63% of tests administered). / Graduate

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / A child born with myelomeningocele was observed, as well as the parents. The parents were admired for their dedication in caring for this child. Their sustained efforts to make life easier for the handicapped child were observed. It seemed if they were doing a marvellous job. The following words of Mary Sharidan struck the researcher: "It is no exaggeration to 'say that in the background of every individual handicapped child there is always a handicapped family." These words instigated the empiric research undertaken to establish what is the factual situation in respect of the education of a family with a child born with myelomeningocele. In the first chapter the emphasis is on the problems parents with handicapped children have to encounter and cope with, for example the degree of the handicap, the expectations of the parents, the influence of the child on the other children, overprotection and common practical problems. The second chapter deals with the handicap myelomeningocele, an explanation of the term myelomeningocele, incidence of the handicap, corrective surgery applied and the physical handicaps arising from this congenital handicap. The physical handicaps can be bone-deformities, paralysis of the lower , extremities, loss of sensation, incontinence of bowl and bladder and hydrocephalus. In the third chapter an attempt was made to define a family, to point out that the family is a source of relations, the first life situation, a primary and educational milieu and the family milieu is an answer to experiences. Education and the aims of education were briefly discussed. In the second part of the third chapter the emphasis is on education as encountered in a normal family. The pedagogic werelation is the main theme. Its success depends on the availability of the parents and a home, the importance of conversation among members of the family, the use of leisure time, acceptance of the child by the parents, the future of the child, mutual dependence and sympathetic authority guidance. To establish how education takes place in a family with a child with myelomeningocele a questionnaire was compiled. The parents of 40 children born with myelomeningocele were interviewed. The questions covered all aspects of family education as well as the physical care of the child. The information gathered was interpreted in connection with 45 hypotheses put by the researcher. Finally the following difficulties in the education of a family with a child with myelomeningocele were identified: the child is not always available because of hospitalisation or the fact that many of the children are resident pupils; family planning suffers as a result of the handicapped child; it is difficult for the parents to join clubs or associations for sport or recreation; the parents are in need of information re their handicapped child; the future of the children is a source of concern; incorporation of the children in a suitable cultural group creates problems, as well as their total dependence on their mothers. Recommendations proposed: only the best schools and creches should be available, initial guidance to the parents should be encouraged and better arranged, aims of education for these children should be re-evaluated, the child must be guided to accept himself, obesity should be investigated and techniques should be developed to prevent the incidence of myelomeningocele.

Many patients with Spina Bifida suffer from hydrocephalus as a complication of their developmental disability and surgeons commonly treat this condition with ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Surgeons have speculated for years that these shunts may cause some type of visual disturbance because of their close proximity to the visual pathways in the brain. Little research has been done, however, to support or discourage this commonly held belief. Questions and data from the Arkansas Spina Bifida Research Project were used to examine whether ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts and VP shunt revisions increase reports of visual complaints for the individuals participating in this research project. This cross sectional design used responses to the vision questions from the 2005 Arkansas Spina Bifida Questionnaire. Results showed a 333% increase in reported vision complaints after receiving a VP shunt, but no significance with the increase in vision complaints for those having three or more VP shunt revisions. Females were 50% to 60% less likely to report vision complaints in both multivariate linear logistic models. While these results indicate the potential relationship between VP shunts and vision concerns, they must be viewed cautiously in light of study limitations due to the small sample size, selection bias, and study design.

A mielomeningocele (MMC) é a uma doença congênita, causada pelo defeito do fechamento do tubo neural durante o período gestacional, resultando em falha de fusão dos elementos posteriores da coluna vertebral, com consequente protrusão das meninges e displasia da medula espinhal e das raízes nervosas. A displasia medular promove paralisia sensitivomotora que acomete os membros inferiores, o sistema urinário e o intestino. O baixo nível de atividade física das crianças e adolescentes com MMC pode resultar em complicações secundárias, como alterações respiratórias, ortopédicas, cardiovasculares, obesidade e sensação de fadiga, podendo afetar a independência e a qualidade de vida destes indivíduos, especialmente os não-deambuladores. Objetivos: Verificar a força, potência e fadiga muscular de crianças e adolescentes com MMC, comparando com crianças e adolescentes saudáveis, pareados pela idade e gênero, de forma a agregar informações acerca da relação que existe entre a hipocinesia e o desenvolvimento da performance de membros superiores em crianças e adolescentes não-deambuladores. Metodologia: Participaram deste estudo transversal 33 crianças e adolescentes de ambos os gêneros, com idades entre 10 e 16 anos, separados em dois grupos: Grupo não-deambuladores (GND) - composto por 11 crianças e adolescentes com MMC, que não deambulam, usuários de cadeira de rodas, em acompanhamento no Ambulatório Neurológico Infantil (NRI) do HCFMRP da Universidade de São Paulo; e Grupo Controle (GCT) - composto por 22 crianças e adolescentes saudáveis pareados pelo gênero e idade. Todos os indivíduos foram inicialmente submetidos a uma avaliação física para obtenção de dados antropométricos e composição corporal, por bioimpedância elétrica; avaliação do nível de atividade física por meio da aplicação do Questionário Internacional de Nível de Atividade Física (IPAQ); avaliação do nível de maturação sexual por meio da aplicação de um questionário sobre a evolução das características sexuais secundárias de acordo com os estágios propostos por Tanner; avaliação da força muscular isométrica dos movimentos de abdução, flexão e extensão de ombros e cotovelos pelo dinamômetro handheld (DHH); análise da força de preensão palmar, através do dinamômetro de bulbo; e, somente para GND, avaliação do nível de lesão medular, através do protocolo de Hoffer et al. (1973). Posteriormente, os indivíduos de GND e GCT foram submetidos à avaliação dos torques isométricos e isocinéticos (em duas velocidades, 60°s-¹ e 120°s-¹) através da contração dos músculos abdutores, adutores, flexores e extensores de ombro e cotovelo dominantes, por meio do aparelho isocinético Biodex System 4®. Foram verificadas as seguintes variáveis: torques isométricos (PTI), torques relativos (TR), trabalho (W), potência (Pot), tempo para atingir o pico de torque (tPT) e fadiga. Para análise estatística dos dados foi utilizado teste de hipótese t (Student), Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, MANOVA e métodos gráficos de descrição e comparação, considerando o nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: A análise estatística não mostrou diferença entre os grupos com relação à dominância, massa corporal, estatura, massa gorda, massa magra, níveis de maturação sexual e de atividade física e força de preensão palmar (p>0,05) e mostrou diferença na força muscular isométrica obtida pelo DHH para os músculos flexores do ombro e flexores de cotovelo bilateralmente (p?0,05). Na avaliação isocinética, alguns voluntários de ambos os grupos não atingiram as velocidades mínimas pré-estabelecidas. A análise estatística mostrou diferença entre os grupos para as variáveis TR60 para os flexores de ombro, tPT60 para os extensores de ombro, TR120 para extensores do ombro e extensores do cotovelo e tPT120 para os flexores e extensores do cotovelo (p?0,05). A análise do desempenho muscular na velocidade 120°s-1 mostrou diferença estatística quando foi comparada a evolução entre as repetições intergrupo para os adutores do ombro e flexores e extensores do cotovelo, e quando foram comparadas as repetições intragrupo para os flexores do cotovelo no GCT (p?0,05). Conclusão: As crianças e adolescentes com MMC e seus pares mostraram homogeneidade quanto antropometria, maturação sexual e nível atividade física. O GND apresentou diferenças significativas nos valores de força mensuradas pelo DHH, porém, força de preensão palmar similar aos seus pares controles. A força isocinética não mostrou alterações significativas entre os grupos para PT, Pot e W. A velocidade de 120 s-1 não mostrou ser eficiente para identificar fadiga periférica em crianças e adolescentes saudáveis e com MMC / The myelomeningocele (MMC) is a congenital disease caused by defect of the neural tube during pregnancy, resulting in merge failure of the posterior elements of the spine, with consequent protrusion of the meninges and dysplasia of the spinal cord and nerve roots. Spinal cord dysplasia promotes sensitive and motor paralysis affecting the lower limbs, the urinary system and the intestine. The low level of physical activity of children and adolescents with MMC may result in secondary complications such as respiratory, orthopedic and cardiovascular disorders, obesity and fatigue, and may affect the independence and quality of life of individuals, especially non-walkers. Objectives: Detecting the strength, power and muscle fatigue in children and adolescents with MMC, compared to healthy children and adolescents, matched for age and gender, in order to add information about the relationship between the hypokinesia and performance of the upper limbs in children and adolescents nonwalkers. Methodology: Participated in this study 33 children and adolescents of both genders, aged 10 and 16 years old, separated into two groups: non-walkers (GND) - made up of 11 children and adolescents with MMC, unable to walk, wheelchair users followed at Children\'s Neurological Clinic (NRI) HCFMRP the University of São Paulo; and Control Group (GCT) - composed of 22 healthy children and adolescents matched for gender and age. All subjects were subjected to a physical examination to obtain anthropometric data and body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis; assessing the level of physical activity by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ); assessing the level of sexual maturity by applying a questionnaire on the development of secondary sexual characteristics in accordance with Tanner stages ; evaluation of isometric strength muscle of abduction, flexion and extension of shoulders and elbows by handheld dynamometer (DHH); analysis of grip strength by the bulb dynamometer; and only to GND, assessing the level of spinal cord injury by the Hoffer and colaborators\' protocol (1973). Subsequently, individuals of GND and GCT underwent evaluation of isometric and isokinetic torque (at two speeds, 60°s-¹ and 120°s-¹) by contracting the abductor , adductors, flexors and extensors shoulder and elbow muscles dominant through the isokinetic Biodex System 4® machine. The following variables were assessed: isometric torque (IT), relative torques (RT), work (W), power (Po), time to reach peak torque (tPT) and fatigue. Statistical analysis was used hypothesis test t (Student), Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, ANOVA, MANOVA and graphical methods of description and comparison, considering the significance level of 5%. Results: The statistical analysis showed no difference between groups with respect to dominance, body weight, height, body fat, lean body mass, sexual maturation and levels of physical activity and grip strength (p <0.05) and showed difference in isometric strength muscle obtained by DHH to the flexor muscles of the shoulder and elbow flexors bilaterally (p<0.05). In isokinetic evaluation, some volunteers from both groups did not meet the minimum pre-set speeds. The statistical analysis showed differences between the groups for the RT60 variables to the shoulder flexors, tPT60 to the shoulder extensors, RT120 for shoulder extensors and elbow extensors and tPT120 for the flexors and extensors of the elbow (p<0.05). The muscular performance analysis speed 120°s-1 showed statistically differences when we compared the evolution of the intergroup reps for shoulder adductors and flexors and extensors of the elbow, and when we compared the intra-group reps for the elbow flexors in GCT (p?0.05). Conclusion: The children and adolescents with MMC and their peers showed homogeneity relative for the anthropometry, sexual maturation and level physical activity. The GND showed significant differences in strength values measured by DHH, however, grip strength similar to their control peers. The isokinetic strength showed no significant changes between groups for PT, Po and W. The speed of 120°s-1 not proved to be efficient to identify peripheral fatigue in children and adolescents with and without MMC

A mielomeningocele (MMC) é a uma doença congênita, causada pelo defeito do fechamento do tubo neural durante o período gestacional, resultando em falha de fusão dos elementos posteriores da coluna vertebral, com consequente protrusão das meninges e displasia da medula espinhal e das raízes nervosas. A displasia medular promove paralisia sensitivomotora que acomete os membros inferiores, o sistema urinário e o intestino. O baixo nível de atividade física das crianças e adolescentes com MMC pode resultar em complicações secundárias, como alterações respiratórias, ortopédicas, cardiovasculares, obesidade e sensação de fadiga, podendo afetar a independência e a qualidade de vida destes indivíduos, especialmente os não-deambuladores. Objetivos: Verificar a força, potência e fadiga muscular de crianças e adolescentes com MMC, comparando com crianças e adolescentes saudáveis, pareados pela idade e gênero, de forma a agregar informações acerca da relação que existe entre a hipocinesia e o desenvolvimento da performance de membros superiores em crianças e adolescentes não-deambuladores. Metodologia: Participaram deste estudo transversal 33 crianças e adolescentes de ambos os gêneros, com idades entre 10 e 16 anos, separados em dois grupos: Grupo não-deambuladores (GND) - composto por 11 crianças e adolescentes com MMC, que não deambulam, usuários de cadeira de rodas, em acompanhamento no Ambulatório Neurológico Infantil (NRI) do HCFMRP da Universidade de São Paulo; e Grupo Controle (GCT) - composto por 22 crianças e adolescentes saudáveis pareados pelo gênero e idade. Todos os indivíduos foram inicialmente submetidos a uma avaliação física para obtenção de dados antropométricos e composição corporal, por bioimpedância elétrica; avaliação do nível de atividade física por meio da aplicação do Questionário Internacional de Nível de Atividade Física (IPAQ); avaliação do nível de maturação sexual por meio da aplicação de um questionário sobre a evolução das características sexuais secundárias de acordo com os estágios propostos por Tanner; avaliação da força muscular isométrica dos movimentos de abdução, flexão e extensão de ombros e cotovelos pelo dinamômetro handheld (DHH); análise da força de preensão palmar, através do dinamômetro de bulbo; e, somente para GND, avaliação do nível de lesão medular, através do protocolo de Hoffer et al. (1973). Posteriormente, os indivíduos de GND e GCT foram submetidos à avaliação dos torques isométricos e isocinéticos (em duas velocidades, 60°s-¹ e 120°s-¹) através da contração dos músculos abdutores, adutores, flexores e extensores de ombro e cotovelo dominantes, por meio do aparelho isocinético Biodex System 4®. Foram verificadas as seguintes variáveis: torques isométricos (PTI), torques relativos (TR), trabalho (W), potência (Pot), tempo para atingir o pico de torque (tPT) e fadiga. Para análise estatística dos dados foi utilizado teste de hipótese t (Student), Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, MANOVA e métodos gráficos de descrição e comparação, considerando o nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: A análise estatística não mostrou diferença entre os grupos com relação à dominância, massa corporal, estatura, massa gorda, massa magra, níveis de maturação sexual e de atividade física e força de preensão palmar (p>0,05) e mostrou diferença na força muscular isométrica obtida pelo DHH para os músculos flexores do ombro e flexores de cotovelo bilateralmente (p?0,05). Na avaliação isocinética, alguns voluntários de ambos os grupos não atingiram as velocidades mínimas pré-estabelecidas. A análise estatística mostrou diferença entre os grupos para as variáveis TR60 para os flexores de ombro, tPT60 para os extensores de ombro, TR120 para extensores do ombro e extensores do cotovelo e tPT120 para os flexores e extensores do cotovelo (p?0,05). A análise do desempenho muscular na velocidade 120°s-1 mostrou diferença estatística quando foi comparada a evolução entre as repetições intergrupo para os adutores do ombro e flexores e extensores do cotovelo, e quando foram comparadas as repetições intragrupo para os flexores do cotovelo no GCT (p?0,05). Conclusão: As crianças e adolescentes com MMC e seus pares mostraram homogeneidade quanto antropometria, maturação sexual e nível atividade física. O GND apresentou diferenças significativas nos valores de força mensuradas pelo DHH, porém, força de preensão palmar similar aos seus pares controles. A força isocinética não mostrou alterações significativas entre os grupos para PT, Pot e W. A velocidade de 120 s-1 não mostrou ser eficiente para identificar fadiga periférica em crianças e adolescentes saudáveis e com MMC / The myelomeningocele (MMC) is a congenital disease caused by defect of the neural tube during pregnancy, resulting in merge failure of the posterior elements of the spine, with consequent protrusion of the meninges and dysplasia of the spinal cord and nerve roots. Spinal cord dysplasia promotes sensitive and motor paralysis affecting the lower limbs, the urinary system and the intestine. The low level of physical activity of children and adolescents with MMC may result in secondary complications such as respiratory, orthopedic and cardiovascular disorders, obesity and fatigue, and may affect the independence and quality of life of individuals, especially non-walkers. Objectives: Detecting the strength, power and muscle fatigue in children and adolescents with MMC, compared to healthy children and adolescents, matched for age and gender, in order to add information about the relationship between the hypokinesia and performance of the upper limbs in children and adolescents nonwalkers. Methodology: Participated in this study 33 children and adolescents of both genders, aged 10 and 16 years old, separated into two groups: non-walkers (GND) - made up of 11 children and adolescents with MMC, unable to walk, wheelchair users followed at Children\'s Neurological Clinic (NRI) HCFMRP the University of São Paulo; and Control Group (GCT) - composed of 22 healthy children and adolescents matched for gender and age. All subjects were subjected to a physical examination to obtain anthropometric data and body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis; assessing the level of physical activity by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ); assessing the level of sexual maturity by applying a questionnaire on the development of secondary sexual characteristics in accordance with Tanner stages ; evaluation of isometric strength muscle of abduction, flexion and extension of shoulders and elbows by handheld dynamometer (DHH); analysis of grip strength by the bulb dynamometer; and only to GND, assessing the level of spinal cord injury by the Hoffer and colaborators\' protocol (1973). Subsequently, individuals of GND and GCT underwent evaluation of isometric and isokinetic torque (at two speeds, 60°s-¹ and 120°s-¹) by contracting the abductor , adductors, flexors and extensors shoulder and elbow muscles dominant through the isokinetic Biodex System 4® machine. The following variables were assessed: isometric torque (IT), relative torques (RT), work (W), power (Po), time to reach peak torque (tPT) and fatigue. Statistical analysis was used hypothesis test t (Student), Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, ANOVA, MANOVA and graphical methods of description and comparison, considering the significance level of 5%. Results: The statistical analysis showed no difference between groups with respect to dominance, body weight, height, body fat, lean body mass, sexual maturation and levels of physical activity and grip strength (p <0.05) and showed difference in isometric strength muscle obtained by DHH to the flexor muscles of the shoulder and elbow flexors bilaterally (p<0.05). In isokinetic evaluation, some volunteers from both groups did not meet the minimum pre-set speeds. The statistical analysis showed differences between the groups for the RT60 variables to the shoulder flexors, tPT60 to the shoulder extensors, RT120 for shoulder extensors and elbow extensors and tPT120 for the flexors and extensors of the elbow (p<0.05). The muscular performance analysis speed 120°s-1 showed statistically differences when we compared the evolution of the intergroup reps for shoulder adductors and flexors and extensors of the elbow, and when we compared the intra-group reps for the elbow flexors in GCT (p?0.05). Conclusion: The children and adolescents with MMC and their peers showed homogeneity relative for the anthropometry, sexual maturation and level physical activity. The GND showed significant differences in strength values measured by DHH, however, grip strength similar to their control peers. The isokinetic strength showed no significant changes between groups for PT, Po and W. The speed of 120°s-1 not proved to be efficient to identify peripheral fatigue in children and adolescents with and without MMC

Following the publishing of the Management of Myelomeningocele Study, the advantages of in utero repair for fetal myelomeningoceles became points of interest for fetal surgeons. There are many variables that must align in order to have success in this type of repair. When a patient is eligible for this prenatal procedure it is preferable to perform it rather than do the repair postnatally as neurological outcomes for the infant tend to be much better following earlier intervention. It is very important to have a clear preoperative plan before beginning any fetal surgery. In doing so, one limits unforeseen events that may arise. With this in mind, we chose to analyze factors that affect the rates of patch placement (in lieu of a primary skin closure) during the prenatal repair and rates of shunt placement after the infant is born. A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent in utero repair for a myelomeningocele or myeloschisis defect at the Colorado Fetal Care Center. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify which preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) in predicting patch and shunt placement. Neuroimaging was found to be a key tool in predicting patch and shunt placement. Additionally, gestational age during prenatal intervention was found to be predictive of patch placement while the preoperative degree of cerebellar descent relative to the foramen magnum as well as 2-week hindbrain herniation classification were found to be predictive of shunt placement. These crucial findings will give physicians a framework to use when creating their preoperative plans and in doing so will allow for higher chances of success with this complex procedure.

600 out of every 100,000 people in the United States today suffer from some form of cerebellar disease that causes major abnormalities in the equilibrium and aligned, coordinated movement of the body. Hence it becomes essential to diagnose the extent of the movement and gait disorder and provide required therapy to the patients. Various developments have been made in the designing and application of interactive software system for body positioning. Object oriented design techniques are used in the field of software engineering for interactive geometric representation of system behavior. Motion analysis of the upper and lower extremities of the body could be beneficial in the diagnosis and therapy of numerous orthopedic and neurological ailments. Mathematical models of neuro-musculoskeletal dynamics establish a scientific basis for movement analysis. As mentioned above, an interactive geometric representation of the system behavior is an important diagnostic tool in orthopedic therapy. This realistic depiction of the human body with respect to the model is a very effective diagnostic tool for clinicians. There are existing biomechanical modeling tools like Visual 3-D etc, that are used for motion analysis. Visual 3-D was developed by the movement disorders laboratory at NIH. The preferred method is to place markers on the segments and calculate the joint center locations using a rigid-body assumption. However studies have shown that markers on the joint centers are subject to artifact (skin movement). Moreover, very few details are provided on the algorithm used by Visual 3-D, and no "fixes" are provided for marker dropout. This project aims at testing the accuracy of existing biomechanical movement analysis software Visual 3D by calculating the rigid body motion from the spatial co-ordinates of the markers clusters on the subject's upper extremities. This project tries to emulate their approach in a simple and effective manner and at the same time validate the approach by testing it by three different methods by calculating the elbow and wrist locations during a forward reaching motion of the subject. A mathematical model is developed by determining a relationship between the projections of a particular point in two different planes or on a single plane in two different directions [Kinzel, G.L. et. al. 1972]. The computer simulations are performed using MATLAB to calculate the lunematical parameters from the co-ordinates of projections of markers placed on the upper extremities of the subject's body. This relation will aid in quantitative motion analysis of the upper extremities in the rehabilitation setting. This can be extended to in-depth gait analysis of the lower extremities too. This type of biomechanical movement analysis allows us to understand the dynamic implications of a particular impairment, such as spasticity or weakness, in a particular muscle group.

Crianças com mielomeningocele (MMC) apresentam anormalidades primárias no fechamento do tubo neural com extrusão de tecido nervoso. Alterações secundárias, como a paraplegia, podem comprometer o desempenho cardiopulmonar e a função autonômica cardiovascular, sendo ainda maior, nos indivíduos que são dependentes exclusivamente de cadeira de rodas. Embora a literatura científica tenha amplamente estudado as manifestações clínicas dos diferentes níveis da MMC, pouca atenção tem sido dada à disfunção cardiopulmonar. A análise da função autonômica cardiovascular assim como a avaliação da capacidade cardiopulmonar, pelo consumo máximo de oxigênio (VO2max), tem sido utilizada como forma de predizer fatores de risco relacionados à saúde, mas o teste cardiopulmonar que é o padrão ouro, requer especificidades que limitam sua ampla utilização. Objetivos: Analisar a capacidade cardiopulmonar de crianças e adolescentes cadeirantes com mielomeningocele e comparar com a do seu respectivo controle, e aplicação de teste indireto a fim de estimar o VO2max nas crianças e adolescentes com MMC. Métodos: Participaram desse estudo transversal 22 crianças e adolescentes, de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 8 e 15 anos, separadas em dois grupos: Grupo Mielomeningocele (GM), composto por 11 crianças e adolescentes com mielomeningocele que não deambulam (estritamente usuários de cadeira de rodas); e Grupo Controle (GC), composto por 11 crianças e adolescentes saudáveis pareados por sexo, idade, massa corporal e/ou estatura. Foram obtidos dados antropométricos; composição corporal por bioimpedância elétrica; classificação do nível de maturação pelo índice de Tanner; nível de atividade física pelo Questionário Internacional de Nível de Atividade Física; avaliação da força muscular isométrica dos abdutores de ombro, flexores e extensores de cotovelo, pelo dinamômetro Handheld e força muscular de preensão palmar pelo dinamômetro de Bulbo; avaliação da Variabilidade da Frequência Cardíaca e da Pressão Arterial (VFC e VPA) e da Sensibilidade Barorreflexa Espontânea (SBRE); teste cardiopulmonar em cicloergômetro de membro superior (teste direto = TD); e, teste indireto (TI) seguindo método proposto por Franklin et al.,(1990) para estimar VO2max. Resultados: os grupos não apresentaram diferença estatística com relação à antropometria e força muscular (p > 0,05), porém o GM apresentou incremento de aproximadamente 6kg de massa gorda (p 0,05). No teste cardiopulmonar, o GM apresentou reduzido valor de VO2pico comparado ao seu controle indicando diferença significativa entre os grupos (p 0,05). O VO2pico correlacionou-se positivamente com dados antropométricos, massa magra e força muscular. Os valores de VO2max estimado pelo TI foram menores que os valores reais obtidos no TD, sofrendo uma variação de 24 à 56%; por outro lado, os dados de FCmax e FC de repouso não apresentaram diferença entre os testes. Com relação à função autonômica cardiovascular, os parâmetros espectrais da VFC não apresentaram diferença significativa entre os grupos, mas os valores de baixa frequência na VPA e a SBRE estavam reduzidos no GM (p < 0,05). Conclusão: crianças e adolescentes com MMC apresentam menor capacidade cardiopulmonar que seus controles saudáveis, e reduzida sensibilidade barorreflexa espontânea com baixo controle simpático na VPA, indicando predisposição a eventos cardíacos tardios. E ainda, o método indireto selecionado não se mostrou ideal para estimar o VO2max nos voluntários do presente estudo, subestimando os valores reais, mas permitiu alcançar valores de FCmax prevista. Este pode ser um modelo de teste de esforço máximo, que necessita ser explorado nessa população. Uma proposta de condicionamento cardiopulmonar necessita ser desenvolvida para esta população. / Children with myelomeningocele (MMC) present primary abnormalities in neural tube with nerve tissue extrusion. Secondary alterations, such as paraplegia, can compromise the cardiopulmonary performance and cardiac autonomic function, mainly in individuals who are exclusively dependent on a wheelchair. Although the scientific literature has extensively studied the clinical manifestations of MMC and their different neural lesion levels, poor attention has been addressed to cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Evaluation of cardiac autonomic function and cardiopulmonary capacity using maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) has been used to predict risk factors related to health, but this gold standard technique requires specificities that limit its widespread use. Objectives: To analyze the difference cardiopulmonary capacity of children and adolescents with myelomeningocele unable to walk and his or her matched control by detecting data that predispose to cardiovascular risks, and using an indirect test in order to estimate the VO2max in children with MMC. Methods: Twenty two (n = 11) children and adolescents participated of this cross-sectional study, both sexes, aged 8 15 years, separated into two groups: Group Myelomeningocele (GM), with 11 children and adolescents with myelomeningocele unable to walk (wheelchair users); and Control Group (CG), with 11 healthy children and adolescents matched for sex, age, weight and/or height. The data obtained were: Anthropometric data; body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis; index maturation classification by Taner; level of physical activity by IPAQ; isometric muscle strength of shoulder abductors, elbow flexors and extensors using Handheld dynamometer, and grip muscle strength using bulb dynamometer; Spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (SBS) and heart rate and blood pressure variability (HRV and BPV) evaluation; cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a cycle ergometer of upper limb (direct test = DT); and indirect test following the method proposed by Franklin et al., (1990) to estimate VO2max. Results: Anthropometry data and muscle strength did not present significant difference between analyzed groups (p > 0.05). GM presented approximately 6kg increased fat mass than CG (p 0.05). By cardiopulmonary test, GM presented reduced VO2peak compared to GC, indicating a significant difference between groups (p 0.05). The VO2peak have positive correlation with anthropometric data and fat free mass and muscle strength. The VO2max in DT varied between 2456% higher than those on the IT, but rest and maximum HR mean value comparisons showed no statistical difference between the tests. Considering cardiac autonomic function, no difference was observed to spectral parameters of HRV, but low frequency of BPV and the SBS were significantly lower in GM (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Children with MMC present reduced cardiopulmonary capacity than their healthy peers and reduced spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity and sympathetic control on BPV, indicating some predisposition to risk of cardiovascular event. And yet, VO2max values estimated by the chosen IT underestimated the DT values and were not applicable to this population; however, they may represent a potential model to test maximal exercise and obtain maximal HR values, which need to be explored further in this population.