title: Virtual Sensorimotor Balance Training for Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Feasibility Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diminished sensory adaptation has been associated with poor balance control for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). A virtual reality system, Sensorimotor Training to Affect Balance, Engagement and Learning (STABEL), was developed to train sensory control for balance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the STABEL system in children with FASD and children with typical development (TD) to (1) determine the feasibility of the STABEL system and (2) explore the immediate effects of the STABEL system on sensory attention and postural control.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a technical report with observational study data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven children with FASD and 11 children with TD, aged 8 to 16 years, completed 30 minutes of STABEL training. The children answered questions about their experience using STABEL. Sensory attention and postural control were measured pre- and post-STABEL training with the Multimodal Balance Entrainment Response system and compared using repeated-measures analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All children engaged in game play and tolerated controlled sensory input during the STABEL protocol. Immediate effects post-STABEL training in both groups were increased postural sway velocity and some changes in entrainment gain. Children with FASD showed higher entrainment gain to vestibular stimuli. There were no significant changes in sensory attention fractions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The small sample size, dose of STABEL training, and exploratory statistical analyses are study limitations, but findings warrant larger systematic study to examine therapeutic effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children completed the training protocol, demonstrating the feasibility of the STABEL system. Differences in postural sway velocity post-STABEL training may have been affected by fatigue, warranting further investigation. Limited immediate effects suggest more practice is needed to affect sensory attention; however, entrainment gain changes suggest the STABEL system provoked vestibular responses during balance practice.
authors.affiliation: S.W. McCoy, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Box 356490, Seattle, WA 98195 (USA). westcs@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah Westcott
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.affiliation: T. Jirikowic, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jirikowic
authors.affiliation: R. Price, MSME, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: M.A. Ciol, PhD, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Marcia A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ciol
authors.affiliation: L-Y. Hsu, PT, PhD, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Lin-Ya
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: B. Dellon, PhD, MSME, Boston Dynamics, Waltham, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dellon
authors.affiliation: D. Kartin, PT, PhD, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kartin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014584:User-Computer Interface