Body balance analysis of children and youth with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Background Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (IDs) are an identified group with postural disturbances resulting from a lack of integration among the visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems. The insufficient level of maturity of the sensory systems is at least partly responsible for disturbances in maintaining body balance. More sway can increase the risk of falls and body injuries. The aims of the study were (1) to compare the ability to maintain the body balance of children and youth with a varying degree of ID, both with the eyes open and closed, and (2) to determine to what extent factors such as sex, level of ID, visual stimulus and body height independently affect the ability to maintain body balance in children and adolescents with ID. Method The study involved 131 people aged 13–21 years (65 girls and 66 boys). The participants were classified as (1) with mild disability (42 girls and 47 boys) and (2) with moderate disability (23 girls and 19 boys), based on IQ test results. Sway measures were collected with the Zebris platform, with the eyes open and closed. Sway path, sway path in anterio‐posterior and medio‐lateral directions and sway area were analysed. Results Boys with moderate ID were characterised by a significantly more sway indicating their worse postural balance ability than boys with mild ID, both in the trials with open eyes and closed ones. The type of test (eyes open/eyes closed) to a small extent had influenced the body balance of the examined children with ID. Results of analyses of covariance had showed that all analysed factors (sex, level of ID, type of the test performance and body height), irrespectively from direction of sway (sway path in anterio‐posterior and medio‐lateral directions), worked independently influencing body balance. Conclusions It could be assumed that lower height, moderate disability and male sex are factors significantly reducing ability of maintenance of balance of children and youth with ID.

Effect of Swiss ball training on abnormal plantar pressure distribution among adolescents with intellectual disabilities

“…The ability to balance depends on the coordination of vision, proprioception, and vestibular perception by the central system and the control of motor effectors [33] . The balance level of healthy adolescents reaches the adult level around 12 years old [34] , whereas that of adolescents with ID lag behind their peers [27] and it does not improve with age [34] . Nonetheless, the stability of the vestibular system and proprioceptive sensitivity can be improved through acquired training [35][36] .…”

“…These results indicate that intellectually disabled adolescents possessed lower limb strength. Such individuals nd it di cult to control their body posture balance during walking due to lower muscle strength, weaker integration and coordination of vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems [2,27] . Resultantly, the body's barycentre is unable to move forward continuously, especially during single-leg support.…”

Comparison of Lower and Upper Quarter Y Balance Test Performance in Adolescent Students with Borderline Intellectual Functioning Compared to Age- and Sex-Matched Controls

“…This lower sports and physical activity participation may additionally have a detrimental effect on the required goal-directed movement of the YBT-LQ/UQ (e.g., moving the reach indicator) and the accompanied balance demands. Fifth, balance relies on sensory systems (visual, proprioceptive and vestibular) and their mutual integration [ 25 ]. An insufficient level of maturity of these sensory systems may therefore impair motor function of BIF students [ 26 ].…”

“…Several limitations of this study need to be addressed. In people with ID such as the more severe forms of intellectual functioning deficit compared to BIF, Hove [ 37 ], Lahtinen et al [ 24 ] and Lipowicz et al [ 25 ] reported that the higher the IQ in people with ID, the better the balance and/or motor performance. However, it remains unclear whether this reported relationship is also present in dynamic balance and shoulder mobility/stability as assessed through the YBT-LQ/UQ in students with BIF.…”

Scientific Training of Sports Medicine for Balance of Knee Joint Muscle Strength of Athletes

“…The maximum torque per unit weight is considered the golden index in the isokinetic test and is commonly used in muscle strength testing. 3 An indicator of flexion and extension; the maximum torque ratio of flexion and extension reflects the ratio of flexor and extensor force, the balance between the antagonistic muscles, and the stability of the joint; the total power is all the work done in a unit of time of muscle contraction; the range of joint motion is the joint flexion the angle of extension can be used to evaluate the symmetry of the left and right work of the trunk.…”