Gait Deficiencies in Individuals with down Syndrome: a Motor Control Perspective with Implications for Pedagogical Intervention

To examine differences in control of gait between adults with Down syndrome (n = 12) and adults without disabilities (n = 12) two investigations were undertaken evaluating spatial and temporal gait parameters under varying and more complex task conditions. In the first experiment we compared gait parameters during a preferred walking speed and a fast walking speed. In the second experiment, we investigated participants’ abilities to adjust spatial and temporal gait parameters under conditions that required increased information processing, via a dual-task paradigm. We hypothesized these investigations would demonstrate that increased task complexity and increased competition for information processing would impede ambulatory performances in adults with Down syndrome. Based on data analyses, significant group differences were found across both spatial and temporal gait parameters (adults with Down syndrome had significantly poorer gait performances than adults without disabilities) in both experiments (p < 0.05). Moreover, in the first experiment adults with Down syndrome displayed more erratic and skewed gait performances during fast walking. In the second experiment there was a significant decrease in gait performance as competition for information processing increased, which was found more in adults with Down syndrome. Results indicated that although adults with Down syndrome displayed a typical walking pattern, it tended to be less efficient and less adaptable to changing environmental contexts than that found in their non-disabled peers. Furthermore, it appears that adults with Down syndrome lack the faculty to control gait patterns and that these inefficiencies most likely reflect a lack of early movement experiences, a lack of early-intervention, motor training programs, and/or deficiencies in utilizing sensory feedback. Potential pedagogical methodologies, such as using variable practice conditions and appropriate augmented feedback, are discussed as possible tools for remediation.