A new study published in The European Journal of Pediatric Neurology found that a simple dynamic balance test can help identify children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who are at high risk of frequent falls.
The study included 92 children aged 5 to 15 with DMD, a genetic condition that causes muscle degeneration and weakness. As DMD progresses, children often experience falls due to impaired balance and reduced muscle strength.
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For the study, each participant completed a series of assessments measuring balance and motor function, including the Four-Square Step Test (FSST). This test required the children to quickly step across four marked squares on the floor, first in a clockwise direction, immediately followed by a counterclockwise direction. The researchers timed how long it took each child to complete this task.
The study authors also collected data on the children’s history of falls. Nearly 86% of participants had fallen within the last year, and 51% had experienced three or more falls within the last month.
When looking at the data together, the researchers found that a time of 10.41 seconds or more to complete the FSST was strongly associated with a higher risk of falls. Children who exceeded this threshold were significantly more likely to have fallen multiple times in both the past month and past year.
The researchers say the knowledge of this cutoff can serve as an important tool for physicians to identify children with DMD at risk of falls.
“These findings provide a valuable clinical reference for identifying children with DMD at heightened risk of frequent falls who may benefit from targeted balance training and preventive strategies,” they wrote.
The researchers also found that traditional motor function tests, such as the six-minute walk test and the motor function measure, did not perform as well as the FSST in predicting fall frequency.
The authors acknowledged limitations, including the study’s retrospective design, and called for more research that uses prospective data to gather real-time information on risk factors for falls.
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