Impairment of stance control in children with sensory modulation disorder

OBJECTIVE. To compare stance control between children with sensory modulation disorder (SMD) and typically developing children in various visual and somatosensory conditions. METHOD. Thirty-one children participated in this study, including 17 children with SMD and 14 matched typically developing children. The Sensory Profile was used to screen for sensory modulation problems, which were further confirmed by measures of electrodermal response and the Evaluation of Sensory Processing. Stance parameters for an assessment of postural stability were obtained with a dual-axis accelerometer on the lumbar area. RESULTS. The children with SMD presented atypical sensory responses in terms of both electrophysiological and behavioral measures. The results for stance showed a greater body sway in the SMD group than in the control group (p < .05). However, the group difference was not always significant under the conditions of reliable somatosensory input and sway-referenced vision. CONCLUSION. Our findings first confirmed impaired stance control in children with SMD.