Role of vestibular and visual analyzers in changes of postural reactivity of patients with cerebral palsy in the treatment process.

The paper presents the results of stabilometric studies of children with hyperkinetic cerebral palsy treated with the method of gradual wearing of a special therapeutic suit. This device is a modification of the Penguin suit specifically designed to compensate for the adverse effects of long-term microgravity on skeletal muscle and skeleton. Thirty children were studied before, immediately after, and in a delayed period after this treatment. A group of 11 healthy volunteers was also studied as controls. The examination program included routine stabilometry, the station test, and the head roll test. The results show that in healthy volunteers, the standing position is acquired and maintained primarily by the visual analyzer, while the posture of patients with cerebral palsy was able to achieve this position with significantly weakened control by the visual analyzer. The use of the device increased the role of the visual analyzer in the control of the standing position. After treatment, the patients' stabilometric indices improved and approached those of healthy subjects.

PMID: 8664871 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]