Adolescents, Intellectual Disability

Effect of a hippotherapy intervention program on static balance and strength in adolescents with intellectual disabilities

Giagazoglou, Arabatzi, Dipla, Liga, Kellis

Research in Dev. Disabilities (2012) 


Description 

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a hippotherapy program on static balance and strength in adolescents with intellectual disability (ID). Nineteen adolescents with moderate ID were assigned either an experimental group (n=10) or a control group (n=9). The experimental group attended a 10-week hippotherapy program. To assess static balance, three tasks of increasing difficulty (Double-Leg Stance with opened or closed eyes, and One-Leg Stance with opened eyes) were performed while standing on an EPS pressure platform (Loran Engineering S.r.I., Bologna, Italy). 

Conclusions from This Review

Improvements in strength and balance tasks by adolescents with ID who participated in the 10-week hippotherapy intervention program. 

 

Muscle reaction function of individuals with intellectual disabilities may be improved through therapeutic use of a horse

Giagazoglou, Arabatzi, Liga, Kellis, Karra, Amiridis

Research in Dev. Disabilities (2013) 


Description 

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of a 14-week hippotherapy exercise program on movement reaction time and muscle activation in adolescents with intellectual disability (ID). Nineteen adolescents with moderate ID were assigned either to an experimental group (n=10) or a control group (n=9). The experimental group attended a hippotherapy exercise program, consisting of two 30-min sessions per week for 14 weeks. Reaction time, time of maximum muscle activity and electromyographic activity (EMG) of rectus femoris and biceps femoris when standing up from a chair under three conditions: in response to audio, visual and audio with closed eyes stimuli were measured. 

Conclusions from This Review

Overall, the findings from this study suggest that hippotherapy can be an effective intervention to improve reaction time and movement responses for adolescents with ID.