ASSESSMENT OF BALANCE FUNCTIONS AND PRIMITIVE REFLEXES IN CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITY

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Audiology Unit, ORL Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

3 Phoniatrics Unit, ORL Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

4 Abou El-Monagga central Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: Persistence of primary reflexes can indicate poor neurological development and immaturity within the nervous system. As dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder that involves more than just reading difficulties so it’s important to investigate primitive reflexes and balance functions in dyslexics. Aim of the Work: To assess balance functions, primitive reflexes in dyslexics. Subjects and Methods: The present study was conducted on 60 children divided into two subgroups. Control group consists of 20 normal children and study group consists of 40 children with dyslexia (diagnosed by Arabic Reading Screening test (ARST) and Modified Arabic Dyslexia Screening Test (MADST). Both study and control groups aged from 6 6/12 to 9 years old. They were subjected to clinical diagnostic tests for primitive reflexes and balance office tests (Romberg, unilateral stance, Fukuda stepping test, modified clinical test of sensory interaction in balance (mCTSIB). Results: The study group demonstrated poor balance measured with unilateral stance compared to control group. Sixty percent of the study group has retained primitive reflexes. Conclusions: Dyslexic children have poor balance compared to normal children and they have retained primitive reflexes supporting poor neurological development. Assessment of balance functions is recommended to be included within the test battery of dyslexics for better quality of life.

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