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Effects of Simulated Equestrian Therapy in Improving Motor Proficiency among Down Syndrome Children - A Randomized
Maha Siddiqui1, Sumaira Farooqui1, Jaza Rizvi1
1College of Physical Therapy, Ziauddin University, Karachi, PAKISTAN.
Insights
Simulated Equestrian Therapy (SET) and Neuro-Motor Therapy (NMT) both effectively improve motor proficiency in children with Down syndrome. Neither therapy demonstrated superiority over the other in enhancing motor skills.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder associated with developmental delays, including impaired motor proficiency.
- Therapeutic interventions are crucial for enhancing motor skills and overall development in children with DS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of Simulated Equestrian Therapy (SET) and Neuro-Motor Therapy (NMT) in improving motor proficiency in children with Down syndrome.
- To evaluate the efficacy of these therapies through a double-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).
Main Methods:
- A double-blinded RCT involving 56 participants with Down syndrome was conducted.
- Participants were randomly assigned to either SET or NMT groups (n=28 each).
- Motor proficiency was assessed using the Bruinink's test of motor proficiency (BOT-2) at baseline, 6th, and 12th weeks.
Main Results:
- Both SET and NMT significantly improved motor proficiency in children with Down syndrome after 12 weeks of intervention.
- No significant difference was found between the effectiveness of SET and NMT in improving the assessed motor parameters.
- Safety was monitored through blood pressure and heart rate recordings before and after each session.
Conclusions:
- Simulated Equestrian Therapy and Neuro-Motor Therapy are effective interventions for enhancing motor proficiency in children with Down syndrome.
- Current findings suggest comparable efficacy between SET and NMT for improving motor skills in this population.
- Further research with long-term follow-up is recommended to ascertain the sustained benefits of these therapies.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Simulated Equestrian Therapy and Neuro-Motor Therapy in improving Motor Proficiency among Down syndrome children using a double-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial. This study was conducted at Dar-ul-Sukun Institute and Dr. Ziauddin Hospital from April to September 2023 by enrolling a total of 56 participants with Down syndrome (DS) after obtaining informed, voluntary assent from the guardians of the participants. Each participant was allocated randomly to the treatment group (n = 28) that received Simulated Equestrian Therapy (SET) and the control group (n = 28) that received Neuro-motor Therapy (NMT) using the envelop method of simple random sampling. The participants and their guardians were blind to the allocations. Participants' blood pressure and heart rate were recorded before and after each session to ensure safety. Each participant was assessed at baseline and after 6th and 12th week of intervention using Bruinink's test of motor proficiency (BOT-2). The data was analyzed using Medcalc software. The results reveal significant findings for improving motor proficiency after 12th week of intervention of SET and NMT. No protocol was found to be superior to another in improvement of the tested parameters. Hence, our study concludes that SET and NMT effectively improve motor proficiency among DS children. However, studies with a follow-up period should be conducted to further evaluate these therapies' long-term benefits.
