Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-355 Wroclaw, Poland.
Department of Nervous System Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul 2;17(13):4759. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17134759.
Gait is one of the examined functions in child development. It should be economical and symmetrical. One test increasingly used by physiotherapists and pediatricians is asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR). Physiologically, it is observed from in utero up to six postnatal months. This reaction is inhibited with the growing maturation of the central nervous system (CNS). In some children, when the natural process of development is incorrect, ATNR manifests later in life, when it is observed as an automatic response of muscle tension to head rotation. Analysis of pelvis symmetry in the gait of children with active ATNR is important for better understanding their specific movements. In the gait of children with persistent ATNR, some variations are observed. The aim of the study was to investigate the gait symmetry of preschool children and the influence of persistent ATNR. Fifty preschool children with a trace form of ATNR were examined. The distribution of the gait parameters was determined using a BTS G-SENSOR measurement instrument. ATNR negatively influences pelvic obliquity and pelvic rotation ( < 0.01). Younger children have a statistically higher symmetry index of pelvis obliquity in the examined group ( = 0.015). Boys obtain a higher result of symmetry in pelvic tilt than girls in the group ( = 0.027). ATNR affects walking symmetry in preschool children, thus evaluation of the reflex activity and then proper therapy is required to support proper development.
步态是儿童发育检查的功能之一。它应该是经济和对称的。一种越来越多的被物理治疗师和儿科医生使用的测试是不对称紧张性颈反射（ATNR）。从子宫内到出生后六个月，生理上都可以观察到这种反应。随着中枢神经系统（CNS）的成熟，这种反应会被抑制。在一些儿童中，当自然发育过程不正确时，ATNR 在生命后期表现出来，此时它被观察为头部旋转时肌肉张力的自动反应。分析主动 ATNR 儿童步态中的骨盆对称性对于更好地理解他们的特定运动非常重要。在持续 ATNR 的儿童的步态中，观察到一些变化。本研究的目的是调查学龄前儿童步态的对称性以及持续 ATNR 的影响。检查了 50 名有 ATNR 痕迹的学龄前儿童。使用 BTS G-SENSOR 测量仪器确定步态参数的分布。ATNR 对骨盆倾斜和骨盆旋转有负面影响（<0.01）。在检查组中，年龄较小的儿童骨盆倾斜的对称性指数具有统计学意义更高（=0.015）。在该组中，男孩的骨盆倾斜对称性结果高于女孩（=0.027）。ATNR 会影响学龄前儿童的步行对称性，因此需要评估反射活动，然后进行适当的治疗，以支持正常发育。
