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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurorehabilitation
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1537635
Exploring the Impact of Home-Based Vojta Therapy on Gait Performance in Individuals with Down Syndrome: A Preliminary Feasibility Study
Provisionally accepted
Guoping Qian 1*
Ewelina Perzanowska 1
Dominika Wilcznska 2 mirela kozakiewicz 1
Hongli Yu 1,3 Hejła Marcelina 1
Zbigniew Ossowski 1*- 1 Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland
- 2 University WSB Merito Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Pomeranian, Poland
- 3 Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong, Sichuan, China
AbstractBackground: Vojta therapy (VT) enhances postural control and improves gait abilities. However, there is limited evidence regarding the impact of home-based VT on individuals with Down syndrome (DS).Objective: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary effects of a two-week home-based VT program on spatiotemporal gait parameters in individuals with DS.Methods: Sixteen individuals with DS (mean age = 17.88 ± 4.57 years, 8 females) participated in a two-week home-based VT program. Feasibility was measured through adherence rates and the occurrence of adverse events. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were evaluated before and after the intervention using the Vicon motion capture system.Results: All participants (100%) successfully completed the home-based VT program with no reported adverse events. Significant improvements were observed in walking speed, cadence, step time (left and right), stride time (left and right), step length (left and right), stride length (left and right), and single support (left) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that home-based VT is a feasible approach and can lead to meaningful improvements in spatiotemporal gait parameters for individuals with DS. Further research with larger sample sizes, more robust designs, and extended follow-up periods is recommended.
Keywords: home-based Vojta therapy, Spatiotemporal gait parameters, Down Syndrome, VICON, Feasibility study
Received: 04 Dec 2024; Accepted: 21 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Qian, Perzanowska, Wilcznska, kozakiewicz, Yu, Marcelina and Ossowski. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Guoping Qian, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland
Zbigniew Ossowski, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland
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