The Effect of a Psychomotor Education Program on the Static Balance of Children With Intellectual Disability.

Children with intellectual disability (ID) demonstrate lower balance ability which results in substantial delays in motor growth and limits their function level. Psychomotor education comprises a holistic movement approach, with the aim to improve all aspects of each child personality. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a psychomotor education program on static balance of school-aged children with ID. Twenty children with ID who were 8-12 years old participated in the study. They were assigned to 2 groups, 1 experiment and 1 control. The experiment group attended a 16-week psychomotor education program at a frequency of 2 lessons per week, for 45 minutes. All the children who participated in the above measurements had (a) recording of anthropometric characteristics, (b) assessment of motor developmental index, and (c) measurement of static balance. The static balance ability was measured by means of an electronic pressure platform. Each child was requested to keep a quiet stance posture under 4 different conditions: double-leg stance with eyes opened or closed while they observed a visual or visual-auditory target. Participants of the intervention group reduced the values of static balance variables for all the positions. In conclusion, findings of this study clearly indicate that psychomotor education program has an important contribution to make for the most benefit of children with ID in terms of static balance.

Match Running Performance Profile and Heart Rate Response in Amputee Soccer Players.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was (a) to create a profile of the running performances of male amputee soccer players in different speed zones, (b) to investigate the relationship between heart rate (HR) and running distance in two soccer matches, and (c) to study the effect of the level of amputation on the running distance covered during a match. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The participants were male amputee soccer players (n = 10, Greek, n = 5; Belgian, n = 5) who played two international, friendly matches. Distances were measured using a global positioning system, and HRs were recorded using a Polar Team Pro. RESULTS: No differences in the distances covered were observed between participants with different levels of amputation (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, there was a trend that participants with a below-the-knee amputation tended to cover longer distances in total (difference +262.3 m, Cohen's d = 0.40) and in zones 2 (+324.4 m, d = 0.79), 3 (+ 7.1 m, d = 0.65), 4 (+22.7 m, d = 0.43), and 5 (+0.4 m, d = 0.20) and less distance in zone 1 (-207.2 m, d = 0.88). They also tended to perform more accelerations (+3.9, d = 0.89) and decelerations (+4.2, d = 0.87) and had a higher mean HR (+8.4%, d = 2.04) than those with an above-the-knee amputation. Moreover, the mean HR corresponded to 83.3% of the HRmax and did not correlate with distance in any speed zone. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the level of amputation might influence running performance and acute physiological response during a soccer match.

Gross motor ability of native Greek, Roma, and Roma immigrant school-age children in Greece.

The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare gross motor ability of children aged 7 to 10 years, all from Roma minority families (Romas, Roma immigrants) and families of indigenous Greeks. The sample consisted of 180 hildren (60 natives, 60 Romas, 60 Roma immigrants) studying in Greek public primary schools. The Test of Gross Motor Development scores showed that the group of indigenous Greek children had significantly higher performance in terms of locomotion skills, handling skills, and general motor ability compared to the groups of Roma and Roma immigrant children. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two other groups. These findings might be attributed to less participation of minority children in organized physical activities in and outside school, as well as to the reduced parental encouragement for attending related activities.

The effect of a rhythmic gymnastics program on the dynamic balance ability of individuals with intellectual disability.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a rhythmic gymnastics program on the dynamic balance ability of a group of adults with intellectual disability (ID). The sample consisted of 18 adults with ID. The control group consisted of 8 adults and an intervention group of 10. The subjects were assigned to each group according to their desire to participate or not in the intervention program. Both groups were comparable in terms of age, weight, height, IQ, and socioeconomic background. The intervention group received a 12-week rhythmic gymnastics program at a frequency of 3 lessons per week, of 45 minutes. The methods of data collection included pre/post-test measurements of the dynamic balance for all subjects of both groups. The dynamic balance ability was measured by means of a balance deck (Lafayette) and was determined by the number of seconds the subject could remain standing on the platform of the stabilometer in durations of 30-, 45-, and 60-second intervals. As the results indicated, the intervention group showed a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05) in terms of dynamic balance ability in each interval after the application of the rhythmic gymnastics program when compared with the control group. It is concluded that adults with ID can improve their balance ability with the application of a well-designed rhythmic gymnastics program.

The effect of basketball training on the muscle strength of adults with mental retardation.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of basketball training on the muscle strength of adults with mental retardation (MR). Twenty-four adults with and without MR were separated into 3 groups. Eight adults (mean age 25.4 years) with normal IQ constituted the control group (NIQ). Eight adults (mean age 26.5 years) with MR and all participating in a 4-year systematic basketball exercise program constituted the trained group (MR-T), and 8 adults (mean age 25.3 years) with MR exercised occasionally for recreational reasons formed the MR-R group. Parameters measured were isometric and isokinetic concentric and eccentric muscle strength. All subjects performed a leg strength test on a Cybex Norm isokinetic dynamometer. Analysis of variance was used to examine mean differences between the values of the 3 groups. A significance level of 0.05 was used for all tests. The NIQ group showed a statistically significant difference in all measured values compared to the MR groups. The MR-T group presented higher absolute and relative torque scores for both knee extensors and flexors than the MR-R group, whereas the MR-R group presented statistically higher antagonistic activity for both knee extensors and flexors than the MR-T group. In addition, both MR groups presented statistically higher antagonistic activity for both knee extensors and flexors compared to the NIQ group. Data support participation on a systematic and well-designed basketball training program to improve muscle strength levels of adults with MR. Participation in basketball without necessarily focusing on developing specific fitness components may be an effective training strategy for the promotion of strength of adults with MR.

The effect of interval training in children with exercise-induced asthma competing in soccer.

A lot of emphasis has been placed in screening individuals with exercise-induced bronchospasm in order to avoid persistence bronchial hyperactivity and consequent chronic silent inflammation of the respiratory tract. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of interval training on the respiratory function and endurance in children with exercise-induced asthma (EIA) participating in the sport of soccer. Twenty-nine boys ages 10-14, who developed EIA after a 6-minute free running test (decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second: FEV(1)10%), participated in the study. They were divided into 2 groups (experimental: n = 18, and control: n = 11), fulfilling the same criteria (i.e., age, body height and weight, and severity of asthma). The experimental group exercised with the interval training method for a period of 8 weeks, (3 sessions per week), whereas the control group exercised with the usual football program. Measurements were made for FEV(1) and endurance in both groups, before and after the application of training (8 weeks). Following the implementation of the training program, a significant improvement in FEV(1) and endurance was documented in the experimental group, as well as significant differences between the 2 groups. In conclusion, duration and aerobic training via the interval method seems to be beneficial to soccer players with EIA.

Effect of rhythmic gymnastics on the rhythm perception of children with deafness.

This study was designed to examine the effect of a rhythmic gymnastics program on the rhythm perception of children with deafness. Two groups--control and experiment--of 12 and 17 children, respectively, coming from the same school for the deaf participated in this study. The duration of the program for the individuals in the experiment group was 16 weeks (at a frequency of 3 lessons per week, for 40 minutes each lesson), while children of both groups adhered to their regular school schedules. Five rhythmic patterns in 3 speeds (tempi) were reproduced both by a metronome and each child's performance and were recorded on a digital disk before and after the application of the program. The rate of time deviation (in seconds) between the 2 beats represented the score for each child. The average rate of the 5 rhythmic patterns in each tempo was calculated separately, giving 3 scores (one for every tempo) for each child. Significance was set at p < or = 0.05. The data revealed significant postexercise differences in favor of the experiment group, an improvement of the experiment group in all pre-post values, as well as an improved medium tempo with relation to the control group. The findings show the effectiveness of the specific program in terms of improving rhythm ability, thus indicating its use in educating children with deafness on rhythm instead of preferring the routine of the adapted school program.