ABSTRACT:
Background: Motor and cognitive development of children with Down
syndrome (DS) is delayed and inharmonic. Neuro-muscular
abnormalities, such as hypotonia, retained primary reflexes, and slow
performance of volitional reaction, result in difficulties with body
balance. Purpose and Methods: It was to investigate the effect of
mechanical vestibular stimulation on balance in children with Down
syndrome. Thirty children with Down syndrome participated in this
study. Subjects were divided into two groups group A and group B,
fifteen children in each group, the control group received a selected
physical therapy program designed for those cases and the study group < br />received the same program in addition to mechanical vestibular
stimulation. Children were evaluated before and after 3 successive
months of treatment program by biodex balance system to evaluate their
balance regarding anteroposterior stability index (APSI), mediolateral
stability index (MLSI) and overall stability index (OASI). Results: There
was a significant decrease in APSI, MLSI and OASI post treatment
compared with that pretreatment in the control and study groups (p >
0.0001). Comparison between both groups post treatment revealed a
significant improvement by the decrease of degrees of sway in APSI,
MLSI and OASI of the study group compared with that of the control
group(p > 0.05).