Postural adaptations to long-term training in Prader-Willi patients

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Physical Therapy
• Genetics

Background:

• Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is associated with significant balance impairments and increased fall risk.
• Effective interventions to improve balance and reduce falls in PWS patients are crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a mixed, home-based training program on balance in adult PWS patients.
• To quantify changes in postural control parameters following a 6-month intervention.

Main Methods:

• Eleven adult PWS patients participated in a 2-week inpatient training program followed by a 6-month home-based program (n=6) or program cessation (n=5).
• Balance was assessed using clinical examination, video recording, and force platform analysis of center of pressure (CoP) displacement (RANGEAP, RANGEML).
• Body Mass Index (BMI) was monitored throughout the study.

Main Results:

• No significant improvements in postural parameters (RANGEAP, RANGEML, CoP trajectory) were observed at any assessment point (POST1, POST2).
• The home-based training program did not lead to significant modifications in balance capacity.
• No significant changes in BMI were recorded in PWS patients post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• A long-term, home-based mixed training program was ineffective in improving balance in PWS individuals.
• Potential reasons for ineffectiveness include insufficient training specificity, inadequate exercise dosage, and failure to address the complex physiology of balance instability in PWS.
• The intervention did not lead to body weight reduction, a potential confounding factor.