M Dudziec

EVALUATING THE BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY BASED AEROBIC TRAINING ON THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE WITH NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE

Introduction: Postural stability is the distance one can lean without losing balance. Movement beyond this limit requires a stabilization reaction to avoid falls. Individuals with Myotonic Dystrophy type-1 (DM1) often experience falls, possibly influenced by reduced limits of stability (LOS). Objectives: Compare LOS via maximum excursion (MXE) scores for DM1 versus normative values. Evaluate MXE at baseline and 3-months. Methods: Dynamic posturography assessed the MXE(%) for eighteen adults with DM1 at baseline and 3-months. Singlegroup and paired t-test analyses were conducted. Results: Individuals with DM1 had significantly lower mean MXE when compared to normative values for ages 20-39 (66.33(4.21), p< 0.01) and 40-59 (48.67(4.94), p< 0.01). Comparing mean MXE among DM1 participants at baseline (57.50(3.81)) versus 3-months (57.78(4.01)) found no difference (p50.41). Conclusion: Adults with DM1 had a significantly reduced LOS when compared to normative values. This reduced maximum excursion capacity indicates an increased fall risk. Additional reductions in stability limits from baseline to 3-months were not detected.