Postural Control Instability in Children With Mild Autism

December 8, 2022 updated by: Texas Woman's University

Proprioception and Vestibular Alterations Affect Postural Control in Children With Mild Autism: A Pilot Study

Objective: Individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit some type of motor control impairment, for instance, motor apraxia and history of gross motor delay that could lead to increased risk of fall. This pilot research was designed to assess and characterize static postural stability and create a starting point to better understand and describe postural control in children with mild autism. Method: We measured static postural control with center of pressure (COP) displacement in 10 children with mild autism during eight sensory conditions that challenge and cancel the visual, proprioceptive and vestibular systems.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Materials and methods Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus has obtained prior the recruitment of the participants. Parents of children diagnosed with mild ASD who were interested in the study called the number on the recruitment flyer. The PI spoke with the parent to assess whether their child qualified for the study based on the following inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Balance Assessment Protocol

The balance assessment procedure included the following; each subject was instructed to stand on both feet for 15 seconds on the pressure MatScan under eight different conditions. The first four conditions were executed over a stable surface and consisted of the following: (1) eyes open (EO) -evaluates visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems, (2) eyes closed (EC) -eliminates visual input, evaluates vestibular and proprioceptive system, (3) eyes open while moving head up and down (at 60 beats per minute) (EO HUD) -evaluates visual and proprioceptive system and alters vestibular input, (4) eyes closed while moving the head up and down (EC HUD) -evaluates the effect of removing visual information, and the vestibular input being altered. The subjects then performed the same four tasks, this time standing on an unstable platform (high quality closed cell foam 19 inches long x 15 inches width x 2.25 inches)with the purpose of altering the proprioceptive input and increasing dependence on the visual and vestibular systems.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

10

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

7 years to 12 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • children from 7-12 years of age, male or female
  • mild ASD diagnosis (as determined by a medical doctor)
  • capable of ambulating independently.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • children with additional neurological problems
  • children with visual problems
  • children unable to tolerate walking or standing barefoot
  • children who have fallen three or more times in the last three months
  • children with vestibular problems.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Balance Assessment Children with Autism
Postural Stability Testing Each subject was instructed to stand in a static bipedal posture on the MatScan® pressure mat and performed 8 balance tasks.
Other: Postural Control Balance Assessment
Postural Stability Testing Each subject was instructed to stand in a static bipedal posture on the MatScan® pressure mat and performed 8 balance tasks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postural Stability
Time Frame: Baseline
Postural stability was operationally defined by the center of pressure displacement measured by the MatScan® pressure mat. These sensors detect the displacement as the body sways anterior, posterior or laterally (right or left).
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Texas Woman's University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Martin G. Rosario, PT, PhD, Texas Woman's University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

August 14, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 14, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

September 14, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 28, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 8, 2022

First Posted (Estimate)

December 9, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

December 9, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 8, 2022

Last Verified

December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • A2540214

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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