Effects of Vestibular Stimulation on Nystagmus Response and Motor Performance in the Developmentally Delayed Infant

Abstract

The effects were studied of 10 days' exposure to daily repetitive, specific vestibular stimulation on motor performance of children with Down's syndrome and normal children. A quantitative assessment of vestibular function was made in these children including the habituation response of postrotatory nystagmus. Control groups were included. Both the children with Down's syndrome and the normal children who received vestibular therapy demonstrated positive effects when evaluated using a quantitative motor skills assessment test. Control and treatment children showed vestibular habituation, with treatment children evidencing the greater change. This change may reflect the acquisition of an increased level of central nervous system inhibitory control.

Cognitive-Motor Relationships in the Growing Years

“…Similarly, Chee, Kreutzberg, & Clark (1978) in a study of 23 preambulatory cerebral palsied children ages 2 -6 years reported that semi-circular canal stimulation over a four-week period resulted in improved reflexes and gross motor skills as compared to a similarly afflicted control group. Findings similar to these were reported by Kantner, Clark, Allen, & Chase (1976) in which a sample of Down's Syndrome children were given ten days' exposure to daily repetitive specific vestibular stimulation. The 10 days of vestibular stimulation resulted in a decline of vestibular induced postrotary nystagmus in Down's Syndrome and normal children, both also showing greater gains in tests of motor development than would be expected from age related norms.…”

The Moving History of Vestibular Stimulation as a Therapeutic Intervention

“…Most important in the context of this review, repeated rotatory stimulation has shown to improve motor skills of young autistic infants (Kantner et al, 1976).…”

Sensory Integration and Down's Syndrome

“…1O,25 This characteristic is documented to be evident in children with Down's syndrome. 26-28 Levitt,29 basing evidence of the efficacy of vestibular stimulation for this population on a study by Kantner et al,9 concluded that vestibular stimulation was useful in habituating the hyperexcitable vestibular system of children with Down's syndrome. The most recent authors advocating this treatment were Edwards and Yuen.…”

“…In particular, researchers have attended only to the efficacy of vestibular-based interventions. [9][10][11][12] Vestibular stimulation in the context of sensory integration therapy A knowledge of the physiological and anatomical structure and function of the vestibular system is necessary as a basis for understanding the theory of sensory integrative functioning. In short, the vestibular apparatus is a receptor system comprised of three almost perpendicular semicircular canals and otolith organs (utricles and saccutes) located bilaterally in the bony canals of the inner ear.…”