Desempenho de criança de 7 a 10 anos em diferentes tarefas de controle postural.
Resumo
The aim of this study was to describe the effect of different tasks on the postural control of
children aged between 7 and10 years old. Twenty-one children, divided into two age groups
of 7-8 and 9-10 years old, participated in the study by performing 5 tests from the Balance
Master System. The purpose of the first test was to verify the ratio of weight bearing to the
levels of articular stress conferred by different degrees of knees flexion, and, according to
ANOVA test, there were no differences either between the groups or among the conditions.
Both the second and the fifth tests aimed to verify the influence of sensory cues on the
postural control quantified by the sway speed; the former provided somatosensory and visual
cues, and the latter, vestibular and visual cues. Kruskal-Wallis statistic test was applied to
these two tests, and no differences were found between the groups. However, the groups
showed distinct behaviors in relation to the conditions. The second test indicated that the
alteration in somatosensory input resulted in maximal instability of the postural control, while
the fifth one verified maximal instability when vestibular input was altered. The aim of the
third test was to identify the response of the control motor components during the
performance of tasks that involve intentional movement of the center of body mass toward the
target. The group of 7-8-year-old children showed better performances in Endpoint Excursion
(EPE) and Movement Velocity (MV), and it seems to be related to cognitive aspects of the
task. The forth test aimed to relate the variables of gait to the maintenance of the stability
following its achievement, and, although no differences were found between the groups, it
was verified positive correlations between anteroposterior body sway and step width as well
as progression velocity. Regarding the postural control, it is possible to conclude that the age
influenced the variables EPE and MV, since the age group of 7-8 years old showed better
performances. In addition, postural as well as motor control of the children was influenced by
sensory cues of the tasks.