Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials and Balance Testing in Children with Down Syndrome

Abstract

Introduction Vestibular otolith function plays a major role in balance control. Objective To investigate the saccular and balance functions of children with Down syndrome (DS). Methods In total, 15 children with DS aged between 9 and 11 years were included. An age- and gender-matched control group (CG) composed of 15 normal participants was also included. The subjects with DS had trisomy 21, without hearing or organic problems, and they had independence in stance. The saccular function among the children with DS and among the controls was tested using air-conduction cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs). In addition, the static and dynamic balance statuses were evaluated using the following assessments; the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS), the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (mCTSIB), the Romberg test, and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Results In the present study, the results of the saccular function test showed that there was a significant difference between children with and without DS (p < 0.05). The DS subjects had significantly earlier N1 latancy and lower amplitude of the cVEMPs (< 70 μV) compared with the control subjects. The static-dynamic balance ability was statistically and significantly different in children with DS compared with the controls (p < 0.05). Conclusion These results revealed that saccular function seems to be affected in DS subjects. The dysfunction in static and dynamic balance abilities of the children with DS may be attributed to vestibular dysfunction as well as low gross motor skills. This knowledge should be taken into account when assessing motor performance in those subjects. Additional larger studies testing other dimensions of the vestibular system in children with DS are needed.

Gender Differences, Motor Skills and Physical Fitness Heterogeneity in Adults with Down’s Syndrome

“…In Cluster 1, participants were significantly older than in Clusters 2 and 3 (mean age 34.4 ± 7.5 vs. 27.1 ± 6.2 and 25.7 ± 5.6 yrs, respectively). According to previous studies, individuals with DS present poor static and dynamic balance compared to control participants [ 50 , 51 , 52 ] and poor strength [ 13 , 17 ]. While there is a growing body of studies evaluating the PA program’s benefits in children with DS to prevent these impairments, there have been relatively few published reports on the effects of strength or balance training programs in adults with DS.…”

Pediatric Balance Scale: Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation Into Greek

“…Various tools for assessing whether children have adequate balance to safely move in their daily life in various environments (ie, home, school, and community) are available in the literature 12–14. The Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) is a valid and reliable measure, including a comprehensive assessment of a variety of everyday activities to provide an overall assessment of children's balance 15.…”

“…Various tools for assessing whether children have adequate balance to safely move in their daily life in various environments (ie, home, school, and community) are available in the literature. [12][13][14] The Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) is a valid and reliable measure, including a comprehensive assessment of a variety of everyday activities to provide an overall assessment of children' s balance. 15 Although the PBS appears to provide the clinician with adequate information to assess the balance of children in different positions (standing, sitting, single-leg stance) and under various conditions (eyes open-closed), an official translation of this scale into Greek is not available.…”