Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec 18:14:131-137.
doi: 10.33393/aop.2024.3191. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.

Does the modified shuttle test exhibit a ceiling effect in healthy and cystic fibrosis children and adolescents?

Marta Amor-Barbosa  1 , Fernanda Salazar-Pérez  1 , Fernanda Maria Vendrusculo  2 , Maria Amélia Bagatini  2 , Evanirso da Silva Aquino  3 , Márcio Vinícius Fagundes Donadio  1   2
Affiliations

Does the modified shuttle test exhibit a ceiling effect in healthy and cystic fibrosis children and adolescents?

Marta Amor-Barbosa et al. Arch Physiother. .

Abstract

Introduction: The modified shuttle test-15 (MST-15) is a valid alternative for assessing exercise capacity when a cardiopulmonary exercise testing is not feasible. This study aims to describe the percentage of healthy and cystic fibrosis (CF) children and adolescents reaching the MST-15 ceiling. Additionally, it examines associations between MST-15 distance and demographic, anthropometric, and lung function data.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study involved 286 healthy volunteers (11.5 ± 3.3 years) and 70 CF patients (11.9 ± 4.4 years). Data on age, gender, weight, height, body mass index, lung function, and MST-15 were collected. The ceiling effect was determined by the absolute and relative number of participants reaching the 15th level. Univariate linear regression and correlation analyses were conducted to explore associations with MST-15 distance.

Results: A ceiling effect for the MST-15 was found in 19 healthy participants (6.6%) and 1 CF patient (1.4%). The ceiling effect was correlated with age (r = 0.777 for healthy; r = 0.538 for CF), with no cases under 10 years and reaching 25% in healthy participants aged 17-19. Regression analysis showed significant associations between age and MST-15 distance in healthy participants (β = 53.6) and CF patients (β = 32.1). Additionally, sex was significantly associated with MST-15 distance in healthy participants (β = 107.0), and FEV1 with MST-15 distance in CF patients (β = 31.0).

Conclusions: The ceiling effect on the MST-15 is age-dependent, with no occurrences observed in children under 10 years and a gradual increase in incidence as participants age.

Keywords: Adolescent; Child; Cystic fibrosis; Exercise test; Exercise tolerance.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors state that there are no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
- Ceiling effect in healthy participants on the 15-level modified shuttle test (MST-15) by age group.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
- Scatter plot of age and distance covered in the 15-level modified shuttle test (MST-15) for healthy and cystic fibrosis groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Cutting GR. Cystic fibrosis genetics: from molecular understanding to clinical application. Nat Rev Genet. 2015;16(1):45–56. doi: 10.1038/nrg3849. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Almajed A, Lands LC. The evolution of exercise capacity and its limiting factors in cystic fibrosis. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2012;13(4):195–199. doi: 10.1016/j.prrv.2012.01.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. van de Weert-van Leeuwen PB, Slieker MG, Hulzebos HJ, Kruitwagen CLJJ, van der Ent CK, Arets HGM. Chronic infection and inflammation affect exercise capacity in cystic fibrosis. Eur Respir J. 2012;39(4):893–898. doi: 10.1183/09031936.00086211. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pianosi P, LeBlanc J, Almudevar A. Relationship between FEV1 and peak oxygen uptake in children with cystic fibrosis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2005;40(4):324–329. doi: 10.1002/ppul.20277. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gruet M, Troosters T, Verges S. Peripheral muscle abnormalities in cystic fibrosis: Etiology, clinical implications and response to therapeutic interventions. J Cyst Fibros. 2017;16(5):538–552. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2017.02.007. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources