Award Date

5-1-2022

Degree Type

Doctoral Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Committee Member

Thessa Hilgenkamp

Second Committee Member

Kai-Yu Ho

Third Committee Member

Daniel Young

Fourth Committee Member

Merrill Landers

Number of Pages

37

Abstract

Background: People with Down syndrome (Ds) often present with balance deficits, which compromise their safety during daily activity. While evidence shows that exercise can improve balance in the Ds population, it is unclear if a telehealth method will elicit similar benefits. We aimed to examine the effects of a virtual exercise program on balance in adults with Ds.

Methods: Twenty participants completed a 12-week telehealth exercise program based on the Mann Method. Balance testing took place before and after the intervention, which included: Timed Up and Go (TUG), Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance (MCTSIB), Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative Studies of Intervention Techniques (FICSIT-4), and Functional Reach Test (FRT).

Results: Significant improvement was seen in the TUG (p=0.043), FICSIT-4 (p=0.019) and FRT (p=0.030). All participants achieved maximum scores on the MCTSIB in pre- and post- testing.

Conclusions: Balance in adults with Ds significantly improved following the telehealth exercise program, which we attribute to the tailored exercises that address visual/vestibular deficits and hip muscle weakness.

Keywords

Down syndrome; Exercise; Mental health

Disciplines

Exercise Science | Physical Therapy

File Format

pdf

File Size

523 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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