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Static standing balance in adolescents with Down syndrome
M Adoración Villarroya1, Alejandro González-Agüero, Teresa Moros-García
1GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group, University School of Health Sciences (EUCS), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. doritav@unizar.es
Research in Developmental Disabilities
|April 17, 2012
Summary
Adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit poorer static balance and rely more on visual input than peers. Rehabilitation focusing on somatosensory input can improve balance in individuals with DS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Physiology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Down syndrome (DS) is associated with developmental differences affecting motor control.
- Static-standing-balance is crucial for daily activities and is often impaired in individuals with DS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and compare static-standing-balance in adolescents with and without Down syndrome.
- To investigate the sensory contributions to postural control in adolescents with DS.
Main Methods:
- Compared 32 adolescents with DS (10-19 years) to 33 age/sex-matched controls.
- Assessed static-standing-balance under four sensory conditions (eyes open/closed, fixed/compliant support).
- Utilized time and frequency Postural Parameters (PPs) and calculated sensory-system ratios.
Main Results:
- Adolescents with DS showed higher mean PPs, indicating worse balance than controls.
- Both groups had worse balance on compliant support; DS adolescents had greater difficulty with altered somatosensory input.
- DS adolescents demonstrated a shift towards multimodal sensory control but had more challenges with reduced visual or altered somatosensory input.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents with DS display distinct postural control strategies, relying more on visual and multimodal input.
- Despite similar control patterns, DS adolescents have inferior static balance and are more affected by somatosensory alterations.
- Rehabilitation programs emphasizing somatosensory input are recommended to enhance balance in adolescents with DS.
