Determining the optimal external weight for an individual treatment program in an adolescent with Friedreich ataxia: A Case Report

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the amount of external weight to optimize postural control, gait, and balance parameters in an adolescent with Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). Method: The study included a 16-year-old adolescent (height: 1.57 m and weight: 60 kg) with FRDA. The adolescent's postural control, gait, and balance were evaluated by attaching different weights (unweight, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of the body weight (BW)) to the trunk. The Bertec Balance Check Screener™, GAITRite and Timed up and Go (TUG) were used to assess postural control (postural sway, limits of stability), gait, and dynamic balance, consecutively. Results: Regarding limits of stability, the adolescent with FRDA performed best at 10% of BW in the anterio-posterior directions and at 15% of BW in the lateral directions. In the antero-posterior directions, the postural sway range on the normal surface was the lowest in unweighted and the lowest at 15% of BW on the perturbed surface. In the lateral directions, she performed the minimum postural sway range at 10% of BW on both the normal and perturbed surfaces. She had a higher cycle time, stride length and narrower support surface at 20% of BW. The value of TUG was the lowest at 20% of BW (10.44 sec). Conclusion: These findings may contribute to the literature by revealing the need for individual determination of the optimal amount in external weighting applications in FRDA.

Keywords

• Friedreich Ataxia
• Gait
• Postural Balance
• Body Weight

Friedreich ataksisi olan bir adölesanda bireysel tedavi programı için optimal eksternal ağırlığın belirlenmesi: Bir Vaka Raporu

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma Friedreich Ataksi (FRDA)’li bir adölesanda postüral kontrol, yürüyüş ve denge parametrelerini optimize etmek için eksternal ağırlık miktarını araştırdı. Yöntem: 16 yaşındaki bir FRDA’lı adölesan (boyu:1.57 m ve kilosu:60 kg) bu çalışmaya dahil edildi. Adölesanın postüral kontrol, yürüyüş ve dengesi gövdeye bağlanan farklı ağırlıklarla (ağırlıksız, vücut ağırlığının %5’i, %10’u, %15’i ve %20’si) değerlendirildi. The Bertec Balance Check Screener™, GAITRite ve Zamanlı Kalk Yürü (TUG) testleri sırasıyla postüral kontrolü, yürüyüşü ve dinamik dengeyi değerlendirmek için kullanıldı. Bulgular: Stabilite limiti açısından FRDA’lı adölesan anterio-posterior yönlerde vücut ağırlığının %10’unda ve lateral yönde vücut ağırlığının %15’inde en iyi performansı gösterdi. Anterio-posterior yönlerde, normal yüzeyde postüral salınım aralığı ağırlıksızda ve köpük yüzeyde vücut ağırlığının %15’inde en düşük değerdeydi. Lateral yönlerde, normal ve köpük yüzeyde adölesan vücut ağırlığının %10’unda minimum postüral salınım aralığı gösterdi. Vücut ağırlığının %20’sinde daha yüksek döngü süresi, adım uzunluğu ve daha dar destek yüzeyine sahipti. TUG değeri vücut ağırlığının %20’sinde en düşüktü. Sonuç: Bu bulgular, FRDA'da eksternal ağırlık uygulamalarında optimal miktarın bireysel olarak belirlenmesi ihtiyacını ortaya koyarak literatüre katkı sağlayabilir.

Keywords

• Friedreich Ataksisi
• Yürüyüş
• Postural Denge
• Vücut Ağırlığı

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