Falivene Anna, Scaccabarozzi Gaia, Busti Ceccarelli Silvia, Molteni Massimo, Klingels Katrijn, Verbecque Evi, Storm Fabio Alexander, Biffi Emilia, Crippa Alessandro
Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy.
Rehabilitation Research Centre (REVAL), Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
J Clin Med. 2025 Aug 8;14(16):5616. doi: 10.3390/jcm14165616.
: Beyond the core characteristics of the condition, autistic individuals often significantly struggle with postural balance. This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of an immersive virtual reality-based training administered with Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL) on postural balance of autistic children. : A total of 20 autistic participants aged 6 to 13 were enrolled in a 5-week randomized, parallel-group, open-label, controlled trial, and received either balance training with the GRAIL system or no training. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04276571). The primary outcome measures were the change in center of pressure (CoP) metrics during GRAIL balance assessments and the change in motor skills as assessed with Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2. Secondary outcome measures included parent-report Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire, center of mass metrics, and gait parameters evaluated with GRAIL. ANCOVA tests were performed for all outcomes, with time (T0 and T1) as within-subjects factor, the group (training and control groups) as between-subjects factor, and considering age as covariate. Slight but significant time by group interactions were found in some CoP metrics (i.e., sway path length, velocity in the antero-posterior direction, and the jerk). These findings preliminarily suggest that a virtual reality-based training may induce slight modifications in postural balance strategies, which can be enhanced with longer or more intensive training.
除了该病症的核心特征外，自闭症个体在姿势平衡方面往往存在显著困难。这项初步研究旨在调查使用步态实时分析互动实验室（GRAIL）进行的沉浸式虚拟现实训练对自闭症儿童姿势平衡的影响。
共有20名年龄在6至13岁的自闭症参与者参加了一项为期5周的随机、平行组、开放标签对照试验，他们要么接受了GRAIL系统的平衡训练，要么没有接受训练。该试验已在ClinicalTrials.gov上注册（标识符：NCT04276571）。主要结局指标是GRAIL平衡评估期间压力中心（CoP）指标的变化以及使用儿童运动评估量表-2评估的运动技能变化。次要结局指标包括家长报告的发育协调障碍问卷、质心指标以及用GRAIL评估的步态参数。对所有结局进行了协方差分析测试，将时间（T0和T1）作为组内因素, 组（训练组和对照组）作为组间因素，并将年龄作为协变量。在一些CoP指标（即摆动路径长度、前后方向速度和急动度）中发现了轻微但显著的组间时间交互作用。这些发现初步表明，基于虚拟现实的训练可能会引起姿势平衡策略的轻微改变，这种改变可以通过更长时间或更密集的训练得到增强。
