Changes of spatial and temporal characteristics of dynamic postural control in children with typical neurodevelopment with age: results of a multicenter pediatric study

Publication date: Available online 9 August 2018

Source: International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

Author(s): Nathalie Goulème, Michel Debue, Karen Spruyt, Catherine Vanderveken, Danièle Romolo De Diati, José Ortega-Solis, Jennifer Petrossi, Sylvette Wiener-Vacher, Maria Pia Bucci, Eugen Ionescu, Hung Thai-Van, Naïma Deggouj

Abstract

Background

The aim of this multicenter study is to investigate the effect of chronological age and gender in postural control.

Methods

To approach an ecological model, we used a multicenter posturography assessment. We analyzed postural control with surface, mean velocity of center of pressure [CoP] and temporal analysis, with Postural Instability Index [PII] being a more sensitive parameter in postural evaluation. A large sample of 156 age- and gender-matched healthy children recruited in several pediatrics hospitals, participated.

Results

Our current results showed a significant decrease of all postural parameters (surface, mean velocity of CoP and PII) with age, and only on stable support condition. Our study additionally described a gender effect in conditions where all sensory inputs are most challenged with a mean velocity of CoP being significantly smaller in girls with respect to boys.

Conclusion

We concluded that postural control improves with age linked with maturation process. Moreover, this maturation process seems not yet achieved at 16.08 years and still ongoing beyond. Interestingly, our result reported specificities linked with gender effect. Indeed, girls and boys do not proceed in the same way to maintain their postural control. We could make hypothesis that more children maintain their postural control efficiently; with a low energy cost, the more they could allocate attention to learning during childhood.

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