Negative Air ions induced amelioration of biochemical parameters in Cerebral Palsy patients

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term for a group of neurological abnormalities that impair a person's ability to stand, balance, walk, and maintain posture. It is caused by injury or anomalies in the developing brain, which tend to happen before or soon after birth or in early childhood. The study aimed to explore the influence of negative air ions (NAIs) on biochemical parameters in CP-inflicted patients and was conducted from February 1st to March 30th, 2021. Ethical permission from the Institutional Bioethics Committee (Ref: IBC-2017) and the Al-Umeed Rehabilitation Association (AURA) was obtained before the study. Thirty-one structured sessions of exposure to NAIs were conducted at AURA for six weeks after randomly allocating CP-inflicted participants into control (n=12; Median age: 14±5 years) and intervention groups (n=16; M age: Median age=14.5±7.1 years). Biochemical parameters included blood urea nitrogen, calcium, creatinine, electrolytes (bicarbonate, chloride, potassium, and sodium), liver function tests (alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, bilirubin total, direct bilirubin, and ?-glutamyl transpeptidase), protein tests (albumin, globulin, A/G ratio, and total proteins), and random blood sugar. For all tests, a trained phlebotomist collected blood samples from the premises of the rehabilitation center at baseline and sixth week. Paired t-tests were performed for within-group comparisons using SPSS v28.  The biochemical parameters were normal in both groups at baseline and sustained normality in assessment at the sixth week. The NAI intervention showed no negative effects, indicating that it can be a progressive, non-pharmacological, cost-effective, and effective method to improve the quality of life of CP-inflicted patients.