Differentiation of the body build and posture in the population of people with intellectual disabilities and Down Syndrome: a systematic review

TL;DR

This study reviews how body build and posture differ in people with Down syndrome compared to those with other intellectual disabilities, focusing on compensatory mechanisms.

Contribution

The study systematically identifies compensatory mechanisms and intrinsic factors influencing body build and posture in Down syndrome and intellectual disability populations.

Findings

Internal and external compensatory mechanisms influence body build and posture in Down syndrome individuals.

Intrinsic differences in Down syndrome are linked to gender, age, and level of intellectual disability.

Abnormalities in cervical vertebrae and feet may trigger internal compensatory processes in Down syndrome.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify the variables of the internal compensatory mechanisms that differentiate the body build and posture of people with Down syndrome (DS) from the intellectual disability (ID) population. It was assumed that gaining knowledge in the abovementioned aspect will allow for a better understanding of the limitation of the kinesthetic abilities of people with ID and DS and simultaneously enable to optimize the process of planning and interventions to improve physical activity in this population with the adequate use of theirs strengths in the biomechanical and morphofunctional systems.

The methodology of this systematic review was developed according to the PRISMA guidelines. A search of PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus databases was conducted to identify all studies on DS/ID and the body build and posture from 2003 to 2023.

395 articles were assessed to determine eligibility, while 22 studies met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to detailed analysis and assessment of their methodological quality. The differentiation of the body build and posture in DS population can be induced by both internal and external compensatory mechanisms. It is difficult to confirm the direct effect of the intrinsic variables that impact the body build and posture in the ID population, excluding people with DS.

Compared to other ID, the intrinsic differences in the body build and posture in DS individuals were induced by gender, age, and level of ID. The tendency for diversity between DS and other ID populations in body build and posture may be determined by the presence of the third copy of chromosome 21 in DS group. Internal compensatory processes may be induced mainly by abnormalities in the structure of the cervical vertebrae and feet. IQ should not be used as the only variable that identifies the population of people with ID.

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