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Gait Analysis of Age-dependent Motor Impairments in Mice with Neurodegeneration
Published on: June 18, 2018
Gait development during lifespan in subjects with Down syndrome
Chiara Rigoldi1, Manuela Galli, Giorgio Albertini
1Bioeng Dept, Politecnico di Milano, p zza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy. chiara.rigoldi@polimi.it
Research in Developmental Disabilities
|October 15, 2010
Summary
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) develop distinct motor strategies due to cognitive delays and ligament laxity, impacting gait development. Early interventions can improve muscle tone and coordination, preventing compensatory movement strategies.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Movement Science
Background:
- Down syndrome (DS) is associated with cognitive delays and orthopedic features like ligament laxity.
- Gait analysis is a valuable tool for investigating motor development and age-related changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of aging on gait in individuals with Down syndrome.
- To compare gait development in individuals with DS to healthy controls across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- 3D gait analysis was performed longitudinally on 32 individuals with DS from childhood to adulthood.
- A control group of 36 healthy individuals (children, teenagers, adults) was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Participants with DS exhibited unique motor strategies, influenced by cognitive delays and ligament laxity.
- While both groups showed variability in childhood, individuals with DS adopted strategies reducing degrees of freedom and increasing frontal plane power dispersion.
- Healthy participants focused on utilizing all degrees of freedom for efficient sagittal plane movement.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive delays and ligament laxity in Down syndrome lead to distinct gait adaptations.
- Early interventions targeting muscle tone and motor coordination are crucial for optimizing movement and preventing energy-costly compensatory strategies in individuals with DS.
