COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DOWN’S SYNDROME AND AUTISM CICLICAL MOVEMENTS

CHRONIC DISEASE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DOWN’S SYNDROME AND AUTISM CICLICAL MOVEMENTS

M. Gikova, Zdr. Araktchiiski, Zdr. Stefanov
National Sports Academ , Department of Anatomy and Biomechanics, Sofia, Bulgaria

The study aim was to compare kinematics and muscles activity of normal gait and swimming exercises and those of subjects with Down’s syndrome and Autism. An original video-computer methodology was used to estimate kinematics and modeling the activity of 9 muscles: m. gluteus maximus, m. semimembranosus, m. semitendinosus, m. biceps femoris, m. rectus femoris, m. vastus lateralis, m. gastrocnemius и m. soleus. Normalized stride registered data were averaged for complete cycle. Phase structure, line velocity, speed of movement and angle kinematics were estimated. A comparative analysis has been performed investigating test persons based on Ferrigno and Pedotti model. The quantitative results supported the analysis of the disturbances in the passive and active parts of the locomotors system. The types of functional disorder compensations were found out.
KEY WORDS: cyclical movements, kinematical analysis, video-computer analysis, locomotors system model.