Integration of proprioceptive signals and attentional capacity during postural control are impaired but subject to improvement in dyslexic children

Abstract

Children with developmental dyslexia suffer from delayed reading capabilities and may also exhibit attentional and sensori-motor deficits. The objective of this study was twofold. First, we aimed at investigating whether integration of proprioceptive signals in balance control was more impaired in dyslexic children when the attentional demand was varied. Secondly, we checked whether this effect was reduced significantly by using a specific treatment to improve eye control deficits and certain postural signs that are often linked to dyslexia (Quercia et al. in J Fr Ophtalmol 28:713-723, 2005, J Fr Ophtalmol 30:380-89, 2007). Thirty dyslexic and 51 treated dyslexic children (> 3 months of treatment) were compared with 42 non-dyslexic children in several conditions (mean age: 136.2 ± 23.6, 132.2 ± 18.7 and 140.2 ± 25 months, respectively). Co-vibration of ankle muscles was effected in order to alter proprioceptive information originating from the ankle. In two vibration conditions, ankle muscles were either not vibrated or vibrated at 85 Hz without illusion of any movement. These two vibration conditions were combined with two attentional conditions. In the first such condition, children maintained balance while merely fixing their gaze on a point in front of them. In the second condition, they had to look for smaller or larger stars in a panel showing forty of each kind. Balance was assessed by means of a force plate. Results indicated that the mean velocity (i.e. the total length) of the center of pressure (CoP) displacement in the 85-Hz vibration condition increased significantly more (compared with no vibration) in the dyslexic and the treated dyslexic groups than in the control group, irrespective of the attention task. Interestingly, in the condition without vibration, the attentional performance of treated children was similar to that of the control group, whereas the attentional performance of the untreated dyslexic children was significantly impaired. Altogether, these results suggest that integration of proprioceptive signals in balance control and attentional capacity are impaired in dyslexic children. However, attention capacity during the control of stance could be improved significantly.