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Alternating stepping patterns: hidden abilities of 11-month-old infants with Down syndrome
B D Ulrich1, D A Ulrich, D H Collier
1Kinesiology Department, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405.
Insights
Infants with Down syndrome can produce alternating steps on a treadmill before walking. This indicates the neural basis for locomotion is present early, even with developmental delays.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Human Locomotion
Background:
- Normally developing infants exhibit organized alternating stepping patterns on a treadmill before independent walking.
- Infants with Down syndrome typically experience delayed walking onset compared to non-disabled peers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if infants with Down syndrome can produce alternating steps on a motorized treadmill.
- To determine if the neural substrate for upright locomotion is present early in infants with Down syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Observing 11-month-old infants with Down syndrome on a motorized treadmill.
- Assessing the infants' response to the treadmill stimulus for alternating stepping patterns.
Main Results:
- Six out of seven infants with Down syndrome produced alternating steps when supported on the treadmill.
- This demonstrates the availability of the neural substrate for locomotion prior to independent walking.
Conclusions:
- The capacity for alternating steps on a treadmill suggests an early-emerging neural basis for upright locomotion in infants with Down syndrome.
- This finding supports the hypothesis that motor delays in Down syndrome may relate more to the integration of stepping with postural control rather than the basic stepping pattern itself.
Abstract:
Normally developing infants can produce organized alternating stepping patterns long before they stand alone or attempt to walk, if supported upright on a motorized treadmill. The purpose of this study was to examine whether infants with Down syndrome, who begin to walk at a much later age than non-disabled infants, could produced alternating steps in a similar way. Six of the seven 11-month-old infants studied responded to the treadmill stimulus by producing alternating steps. This suggests that the basic neural substrate necessary for upright locomotion is available long before walking occurs in infants with Down syndrome, as it is in normally developing infants. The infants in this study began to walk at an average of 13.3 months after demonstrating the ability to produce treadmill steps.