Affiliations: [a] Sainte-Justine UHC Research Center, Centre de Réadaptation Marie Enfant, Montreal, QC, Canada
| [b] Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| [c] Department of Mechanical Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| [d] Centre de réadaptation Lucie-Bruneau du Centre intégré universitaire de santé et services sociaux (CIUSSS) du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Annie Pouliot-Laforte, Kinesiology Laboratory, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, 4 rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland. E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: Background:Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is characterized by progressive and predominantly distal muscle atrophy and myotonia. Gait and balance impairments, resulting in falls, are frequently reported in this population. However, the extent to which individuals with DM1 rely more on a specific sensory system for balance than asymptomatic individuals (AI) is unknown. Objective:Evaluate postural control performance in individuals with DM1 and its dependence on vision compared to AI. Methods:20 participants with DM1, divided into two groups based on their diagnosis, i.e. adult and congenital phenotype, and 12 AI participants were recruited. Quiet standing postural control was assessed in two visual conditions: eyes-open and eyes-closed. The outcomes measures were: center of pressure (CoP), mean velocity, CoP range of displacement in anteroposterior and mediolateral axis, and the 95% confidence ellipse’s surface. Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance were used to compare outcomes between conditions and groups, respectively. Results:Significant group effect and condition effect were observed on postural control performance. No significant difference was observed between the two DM1 groups. The significant differences observed between the AI group and the two DM1 groups in the eyes-open condition were also observed in the eyes-closed condition. Conclusions:The result revealed poorer postural control performance in people with DM1 compared to AI. The DM1 group also showed similar decrease in performance than AI in eyes-closed condition, suggesting no excessive visual dependency.
Keywords: Myotonic dystrophy, steinert disease, balance, postural control, standing position
