Impaired postural balance in turner syndrome

Abstract

An impaired body balance has been found in Turner syndrome (TS) in clinical tests like Rombergs's test and walking on a balance beam. The aim of the study was to assess postural balance in TS subjects with specific balance testing using dynamic posturography and relate to body composition. Nineteen TS subjects (20-57 years) were included. Balance was measured with dynamic posturography (Equitest) and compared with 19 sex and age-matched controls (22-59 years). Equitest, visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems were provoked with increasing difficulty (6 tests, SO1-SO6) and body sway was measured with a dual forceplate. Body composition was measured with DXA. No difference was found between the TS subjects and the controls on fixed platform with open eyes (SO1), with closed eyes (SO2), with stable platform and visual disorientation (SO3), or on unstable platform with open eyes (SO4). In the difficult tests on unstable platform the TS subjects did worse compared with controls both in the test with eyes closed (SO5), p<0.01, and in the test with visual disorientation (SO6), p<0.05. Composite (a merge of all six recordings) was significantly lower in the TS-group, p<0.05. In the TS group high total body weight was related to worse outcome on tests SO5, SO6, and composite, while total bone mass, age, height, or waist showed no significant association with balance scores. Our findings indicate that TS could have an increased risk for falling due to impaired ability to manage complex coordination tasks.