Movement skills in persons with Down syndrome decrease with aging

Abstract

Persons with Down syndrome (DS) are comparatively physically inactive, which could accelerate the onset of disease, resulting in symptoms associated with aging that are detrimental to health. The aim was to evaluate movement abilities across the life span in persons with DS. Eleven persons with DS (>50 years, mean age 58 years), and 10 younger persons with DS (<49 years, mean age 28 years) who resided in a residential living center were included in the study. Age- and gender-matched people without DS (n=22) served as control group (CG). Five sensory-motor tasks that involved the integration of hand movements with visual information were used, as well as the posture scale analyzer system to examine postural stability. Results showed that the older persons with DS had more medical problems than the young persons with and without DS. The hand coordination and postural stability of the older adults with DS were more impaired in comparison with the young group and both CGs. It is postulated that their poor motor function and slower responses might be explained by a less active lifestyle, that could accelerate the onset of disease, resulting in symptoms associated with aging that are detrimental to health. Our observations could have significant implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying movement dysfunction in older adults with DS and might offer new approaches for possible prevention.