Search

Background: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) often exhibit lower levels of physical fitness, including reduced balance and neuromuscular coordination, compared to the general population. Dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) training has been proposed as a potential intervention to improve physical fitness in this population, but its effectiveness and durability on specific fitness components remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate the effects and durability of an 8-week DNS program on balance and coordination in adult males with IDs. Methods: Thirty-one participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 16) or a control group (n = 15). Balance and neuromuscular coordination were assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and two months post-intervention using the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), walking forward heel-to-toe test, and bilateral coordination test. The intervention group participated in the DNS training program for 8 weeks, with three sessions per week, while the control group maintained their usual activities. Results: Analysis of the outcome measures revealed significant time, group, and time-group interaction effects. Post-hoc analyses indicated that the DNS group showed significantly greater improvements in BESS scores and coordination compared to the control group (p < 0.01). These improvements were maintained at the two-month follow-up assessment. Conclusion: This study provides robust evidence that DNS exercises can significantly enhance balance and neuromuscular coordination in middle-aged males with IDs, with improvements maintained over two months post-training. However, the exclusive focus on male participants limits the extrapolation of these findings to the broader population of individuals with IDs, particularly females. Future investigations should aim to address this limitation by including more diverse samples to advance the generalizability and applicability of DNS-based interventions in this field. Trial registration: RTC, Registered prospectively at the registry of the clinical trial (UMIN000053560), Registered on 07/02/2024. Highlights: DNS improve Balance of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. DNS improve Walking of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. DNS improves Coordination in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often exhibit lower levels of physical fitness compared to the general population, including reduced strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. Dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) training can potentially improve the performance of adults with ID caused by weak motor skills due to a lack of desirable nerve growth during childhood and before puberty. Also, DNS training proposed to improve physical fitness in this population, but the effectiveness and durability of DNS training on specific fitness components have not been well-established. This study employed a randomized controlled trial design to investigate the effects of an 8-week DNS training program on the strength, endurance, and flexibility of adults with ID. A total of 31 participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 16) or a control group (n = 15). Muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility were assessed at baseline (pre-test), immediately after the intervention (post-test), and 2 months following the intervention (follow-up) using the 30-second chair stand (30sCS) test, sit-ups test, trunk lift test, and chair sit-and-reach test. Participants in the intervention group engaged in the DNS training program for 8 weeks, with 3 sessions per week, while the control group maintained their usual activities. The analysis of the outcome measures revealed significant time, group, and time-group interaction effects. Post-hoc analyses indicated that the DNS group exhibited significantly greater improvements in 30sCS, sit-ups, trunk lift, and chair sit-and-reach compared to the control group (p < 0.01). These improvements were maintained at the 2-month follow-up assessment in the DNS group. This randomized controlled trial demonstrates that an 8-week DNS training program significantly improves muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility in adults with ID, with benefits maintained at a 2 month follow-up. Further research is needed to replicate these findings and investigate underlying mechanisms, but the study highlights the potential of DNS training to promote physical fitness and well-being in individuals with ID. Trial registration RTC, prospectively registered in the Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN000053560) on 24/03/2024. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to conduct a systematic review of injury prevention programs on muscle flexibility in children and adolescents. Methods: Relevant articles were searched in two electronic databases, PubMed and Scopus. An electronic search was conducted on December 1, 2022, without applying any year constraints. Studies that investigated the effect of injury prevention programs on muscle flexibility in subjects under 17 years of age were included. The study method was evaluated using the PEDro scale. Results: A total of 3563 studies were initially retrieved from databases, and data from 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were used in this systematic review. Injury prevention programs (three out of five articles) can improve the muscle flexibility of children and adolescents (before and after the intervention). Conclusion: Injury prevention programs can improve the muscle flexibility of children and adolescents in the intervention group (before and after the intervention); although no improvement was observed in the control group. Therefore, factors, such as duration, frequency and intensity of the program, gender, activity level, type of sport, and sample size are decisive in muscle flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effects and durability of postural exercise on gait kinematics in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Thirty-four men with mild IDDs were assigned to either the training group (n = 19) or the control group (n = 15). The TG performed the intervention over 8 weeks, 3 days/week, 1 h/day. The results indicated that the intervention program had a significant effect on some variables of gait. Additionally, in the TG between post-test and follow-up, there was no significant difference, which indicated that gait variables were maintained by the TG one month after the end of the program. This research demonstrates that postural exercises are a viable intervention for enhancing the gait of people with IDDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Down syndrome (DS) is associated with exhibit specific balance problems due to inter alia deficits in the postural control system and hypotonia. One approach to reducing balance impairments in this population is exercise training. This study presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of exercise training designed to improve balance ability in people with DS. A search for relevant articles was carried out on seven electronic databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Scopus, PEDro, and Web of Science. This systematic review was carried out between 2010 and 2022. Utilizing a set of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the studies were selected and their methodology was assessed using the PEDro scale. Data analyses were performed using the CMA v3 random effects model. In total, 514 articles were screened, and the data from 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving DS were subjected to a meta-analysis. The results showed that exercise training was effective in improving balance (ES: 1.20, 95% CIs: 0.95 to 1.53, p = 0.00). Despite the small number of studies, the findings suggest that exercise training might improve balance in children and young people with DS. In conclusion, exercise training is highly recommended for people with DS, to improve their balance and prevent falling risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aim. Functional Movement Screening (FMS™) tests provide beneficial information regarding the movement and stability in the kinetic chain. The core region of the body, as the basis of movement chain, accounts for the facilitation of force and torque transmission. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between functional movement screen composite scores and core stability muscles endurance in athletes. Material and Methods. Forty-five male athletes with FMS scores ≤14 (LoFMS) and forty-five male athletes with FMS scores >14 (HiFMS) were studied. Stability of core muscles of the participants was investigated and compared using the McGill's test. Results. The results of this study showed a significant difference in the mean stability of the anterior trunk muscles (p = 0.001), right side trunk muscles (p = 0.005) and left side trunk muscles (p = 0.001) between the athletes with LoFMS and HiFMS scores. Muscles' endurance in the group with HiFMS score was significantly higher than the group LoFMS score (p = 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the mean stability of the posterior trunk muscles between the two groups. In general, a significant difference was found between sum of core stability scores obtained from lumbar-pelvic stabilizer muscles in the posterior, anterior and lateral sides of athletes LoFMS and HiFMS scores. Conclusions. The results of this study showed that weakness in core stability can have a negative influence on movement patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Balance or postural control is the ability to maintain the center of gravity of the body within the base of support. Falling is one of the most common problems influencing both physical health and quality of life of people with Intellectual Disability (ID). The purpose of this research was to evaluate balance scores and Fear of Falling (FoF) in ID. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, including 54 ID subjects. Subjects were aged between 16 and 30 years. The experimental group included 34 ID subjects while the control group included 20 individuals with Down Syndrome (DS). Balance scores and FoF were assessed using the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) and Falls Efficacy Scale -- International (FES-I) questionnaire. Unpaired 't' test was used to compare ID and DS groups. Results: According to the findings of this research referring to the total Balance Evaluation Systems Test and section Balance Evaluation Systems Test scores, FoF was found to be statistically and significantly different in DS compared to ID. Balance Evaluation Systems Test scores significantly correlated with FES-I scores. Conclusion: It appears that due to the lowest section scores related to mechanical constraints, sensory orientation and stability in gait, measures to improve these sections are highly needed in Intellectual Disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]