Journal article
Vestibular Function and Postural Control in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Journal of Clinical Medicine, Vol.13(17), pp.1-12
2024
PMCID: PMC11396428
PMID: 39274538
Abstract
Background: Postural control deficits have been documented in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet vestibular system contributions to postural control have not been widely considered. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between functional balance, postural sway, and vestibular function in children with ASD. Methods: Ten children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD according to DSM-V guidelines along with ten children with no known neurodevelopmental or motor delays participated in the study. Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and the Paediatric Balance Scale measured functional balance ability, and postural sway was measured using static posturography with modified sensory inputs. Peripheral vestibular function was measured using cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and video head impulse testing. Correlations between measures were performed. Results: When visual cues were removed, children with ASD demonstrated larger path velocities indicative of reduced postural control, and different patterns of postural sway. Functional balance was correlated with path velocities for conditions where sensory information was modified. No differences in peripheral vestibular function were noted between groups, and functional balance was not correlated with vestibular function. Conclusions: Findings suggest that while peripheral vestibular function is similar between groups, postural control differences in children with ASD remain, particularly for conditions where sensory information is modified. Furthermore, demonstrated patterns of postural sway suggest sensory system integration is less developed in children with ASD. These findings highlight the importance of utilising a range of clinical tools to quantify balance ability and consideration of postural control measures to inform intervention.
Details
- Title
- Vestibular Function and Postural Control in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Authors
- Donella Chisari (Corresponding Author) - The University of MelbourneJessica Vitkovic - The University of MelbourneRoss Clark - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Sports & Exercise ScienceGary Rance - The University of Melbourne
- Publication details
- Journal of Clinical Medicine, Vol.13(17), pp.1-12
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.3390/jcm13175323
- ISSN
- 2077-0383
- PMID
- 39274538; PMC11396428
- Copyright note
- © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.
- Grant note
- Graeme Clark Chair in Audiology and Speech Science
- Organisation Unit
- Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; School of Health - Sports & Exercise Science
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991066766402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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