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Publication Detail

Title: Postural stability in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Authors: Molloy, Cynthia A; Dietrich, Kim N; Bhattacharya, Amit

Published In J Autism Dev Disord, (2003 Dec)

Abstract: Maintaining upright posture is a complex process involving multiple afferent systems. The aim of this study was to measure the postural stability of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared with children with typical neurodevelopment and to measure the relative contributions of the visual, somatosensory, and vestibular afferent systems in each group. Eight boys with ASD and eight age-, race-, and gender-matched controls participated in this study using force platform technology with customized software to measure postural sway under conditions designed to eliminate or modify visual and somatosensory input. Children with ASD had significantly larger sway areas under all test conditions in which afferent input was modified. These results are consistent with a deficit in the integration of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory input to maintain postural orientation.

PubMed ID: 14714933 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Autistic Disorder*; Case-Control Studies; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Postural Balance*

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