Static Balance in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias: a Cross-sectional Study

AbstractMotor and somatosensory pathway dysfunction due to degeneration of long tracts in hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) indicates that postural abnormalities may be a relevant disease feature. However, balance assessments have been underutilized to study these conditions. How does the static balance of individuals with HSP with eyes open and closed differ from healthy controls, and how does it relate to disease severity? This cross-sectional case –control study assessed the static balance of 17 subjects with genetically confirmed HSP and 17 healthy individuals, evaluating the center of pressure (COP) variables captured by a force platform. The root-mean-square of velocities and mean of displacements amplitudes in mediolateral and anteropos terior axes were correlated with disease severity. All COP parameters’ performances were significantly impaired in HSP subjects compared to controls (p <  0.001 for all comparisons). COP with eyes open and closed differed for all variables within the HSP group, whereas in the control group, differences were observed only for anteroposterior velocity and amplitude. Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale presented moderate direct correlations with the most COP variables (Rho =  − 0.520 to − 0.736). HSP individuals presented significant postural instability with eyes open and to a greater extent with eyes closed, corroborating the clinical findings of somatosensorial and proprioceptive pathways dysfunction. The degre...
Source: The Cerebellum - Category: Neurology Source Type: research