Physical activity cost in children following an acquired brain injury--a comparative study.

Background: Alterations in energy expenditure during activity post head injury has not been investigated due primarily to the difficulty of measurement.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare energy expenditure during activity and body composition of children following acquired brain injury (ABI) with data from a group of normal controls.

Design: Energy expenditure was measured using the Cosmed K4b(2) in a group of 15 children with ABI and a group of 67 normal children during rest and when walking and running.