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How Trunk Control Links Autism Severity to Functional Exercise Capacity in Children With ASD

6. juni 2026 opdateret af: Dr. Mehak Naeem

Trunk Control Mediates the Association Between Autism Severity and Functional Exercise Capacity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The goal of this observational study is to learn if trunk control (the ability to balance and stabilize the upper body while sitting or moving) links autism severity to functional exercise capacity in children aged 4-12 years with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The main questions it aims to answer are:

  1. Does trunk control explain why children with more severe ASD have lower functional exercise capacity?
  2. Do trunk control and functional exercise capacity differ across ASD severity levels (Level 1, 2, and 3)?

Participants will complete two assessments in a single 30-40 minute session during their routine clinic visit:

  1. A trunk control test, where a trained physiotherapist observes seated balance and movement.
  2. A 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), where the child moves along a flat hospital corridor for 6 minutes and the total distance covered is recorded as a measure of functional exercise capacity.

No treatment or intervention is involved. All assessments are safe, non-invasive, and conducted at a tertiary care children's hospital in Pakistan.

Studieoversigt

Status

Ikke rekrutterer endnu

Betingelser

Detaljeret beskrivelse

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by decreased cardiorespiratory fitness and motor impairments that limit participation in daily activities. Children with ASD commonly show reduced postural stability and trunk motor control (the ability to maintain and adjust the position of the upper body during movement). These impairments are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to functional limitations in individuals with ASD, yet the precise mechanism linking autism severity to reduced functional exercise capacity has not been formally tested.

This cross-sectional study tests a mediation model: whether trunk motor control explains the relationship between ASD severity and functional exercise capacity. ASD severity is classified using DSM-5 levels (Level 1, 2, and 3) from existing clinical records. Trunk motor control is assessed using the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), a validated tool measuring static balance, dynamic balance, and trunk coordination. Functional exercise capacity is measured using the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), conducted per American Thoracic Society guidelines.

Statistical analysis uses bootstrap mediation (PROCESS Model 4, 5,000 resamples), controlling for age, sex, and BMI. This is the first study to examine this mediation pathway in a paediatric hospital setting in Pakistan, where no motor profile has been described in the literature for children with ASD.

Undersøgelsestype

Observationel

Tilmelding (Anslået)

200

Kontakter og lokationer

Dette afsnit indeholder kontaktoplysninger for dem, der udfører undersøgelsen, og oplysninger om, hvor denne undersøgelse udføres.

Studiesteder

    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54782
        • Dr. Saqib Rabbani

Deltagelseskriterier

Forskere leder efter personer, der passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kaldet berettigelseskriterier. Nogle eksempler på disse kriterier er en persons generelle helbredstilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Berettigelseskriterier

Aldre berettiget til at studere

  • Barn

Tager imod sunde frivillige

Ja

Prøveudtagningsmetode

Ikke-sandsynlighedsprøve

Studiebefolkning

Participants will be recruited consecutively from the developmental and rehabilitation paediatric physiotherapy outpatient department of a tertiary care children's hospital in Pakistan.

Beskrivelse

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children aged 4-12 years (inclusive) at the time of assessment
  • Confirmed diagnosis of ASD according to DSM-5 criteria, documented in the hospital record by a licensed clinical psychologist or developmental paediatrician
  • Classified at DSM-5 severity Level 1, 2, or 3 in the existing clinical file
  • Currently attending physiotherapy or developmental rehabilitation outpatient services at the hospital
  • Able to attempt the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) with or without verbal prompting
  • Written informed consent from parent or legal guardian; verbal assent from child where developmentally appropriate (aged 7 years and above)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Co-existing neurological condition independently affecting gait (e.g., cerebral palsy, uncontrolled epilepsy)
  • Orthopaedic condition precluding walking or safe execution of the Trunk Impairment Scale
  • Acute illness, fever, or significant behavioural crisis at the time of the scheduled assessment session
  • Current enrolment in a structured physiotherapy or physical activity intervention programme
  • Caregiver refusal of consent or participant non-cooperation with either assessment tool at the time of the visit

Studieplan

Dette afsnit indeholder detaljer om studieplanen, herunder hvordan undersøgelsen er designet, og hvad undersøgelsen måler.

Hvordan er undersøgelsen tilrettelagt?

Design detaljer

Kohorter og interventioner

Gruppe / kohorte
ASD Level 1 - Requiring Support
Children aged 4-12 years with a confirmed DSM-5 diagnosis of ASD at severity Level 1 (requiring support). Participants undergo a single assessment session comprising the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) to measure trunk motor control and the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) to measure functional exercise capacity. No intervention is administered.
ASD Level 2 - Requiring Substantial Support
Children aged 4-12 years with a confirmed DSM-5 diagnosis of ASD at severity Level 2 (requiring substantial support). Participants undergo a single assessment session comprising the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) to measure trunk motor control and the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) to measure functional exercise capacity. No intervention is administered.
ASD Level 3 - Requiring Very Substantial Support
Children aged 4-12 years with a confirmed DSM-5 diagnosis of ASD at severity Level 3 (requiring very substantial support). Participants undergo a single assessment session comprising the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) to measure trunk motor control and the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) to measure functional exercise capacity. No intervention is administered.

Hvad måler undersøgelsen?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Functional Exercise Capacity
Tidsramme: 1 Day
Total distance covered in metres during the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), administered in accordance with American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines along a 30-metre flat hospital corridor. The 6MWT is a validated, low-cost index of functional exercise capacity applicable to paediatric clinical settings. There is no fixed minimum or maximum value. A greater distance indicates better functional exercise capacity. Whereas a shorter distance indicates poorer functional exercise capacity. 6MWT distance will be analysed as a continuous variable and compared across DSM-5 severity levels.
1 Day

Sekundære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Trunk Motor Control
Tidsramme: 1 Day
Total score on the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), a validated clinician-administered tool scored from 0 to 23 across three subscales: static sitting balance (0-7), dynamic sitting balance (0-10), and trunk coordination (0-6). Higher scores indicate better trunk motor control.
1 Day

Samarbejdspartnere og efterforskere

Det er her, du vil finde personer og organisationer, der er involveret i denne undersøgelse.

Sponsor

Datoer for undersøgelser

Disse datoer sporer fremskridtene for indsendelser af undersøgelsesrekord og resumeresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieregistreringer og rapporterede resultater gennemgås af National Library of Medicine (NLM) for at sikre, at de opfylder specifikke kvalitetskontrolstandarder, før de offentliggøres på den offentlige hjemmeside.

Studer store datoer

Studiestart (Anslået)

1. juni 2026

Primær færdiggørelse (Anslået)

1. juli 2026

Studieafslutning (Anslået)

1. juli 2026

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først indsendt

2. juni 2026

Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier

2. juni 2026

Først opslået (Faktiske)

8. juni 2026

Opdateringer af undersøgelsesjournaler

Sidste opdatering sendt (Faktiske)

10. juni 2026

Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier

6. juni 2026

Sidst verificeret

1. juni 2026

Mere information

Begreber relateret til denne undersøgelse

Andre undersøgelses-id-numre

  • UHS/IRB-26/1974

Plan for individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)

Planlægger du at dele individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)?

UBESLUTET

IPD-planbeskrivelse

Individual participant data will not be shared, as the study involves a vulnerable paediatric population. Participant confidentiality and privacy are protected under the study's ethical approval conditions and applicable national research regulations of Pakistan.

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