Acelerometria triaxial em saltos laterais para identificação de padrões motores sutis em adultos com e sem síndrome de Down

Abstract

Background: Down syndrome (DS) is associated with neuromotor alterations that affect skills such as jumping, which requires strength, balance, and coordination. The lateral jump task of the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) considers these components, but it is still under-researched in adults with DS. Inertial sensors, such as accelerometers, emerge as a promising alternative to quantify subtle motor patterns not detected by observational assessments. Objective: To compare lateral jump motor patterns between adults with and without Down syndrome through the analysis of triaxial acceleration signals. Methods: Forty-two adults participated, divided into two groups (21 with DS and 21 without DS), matched for age and sex. Each participant completed the 15-second KTK lateral jump task. An inertial sensor placed on the lumbar region recorded the mediolateral, anteroposterior, and vertical components of linear acceleration during the task. Multivariate analysis using Random Forest, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis were employed to examine the thirty-nine extracted metrics. Results: Adults with DS showed significantly lower performance (10.1 ± 3.1 vs. 34.0 ± 4.3 jumps; p < 0.001; Hedges’ g = 6.30). Random Forest identified metrics of variability and stability of acceleration as having the greatest predictive importance. PCA explained 85.03% of the total variance in the first two components and showed a clear separation between the groups, as well as greater intragroup heterogeneity among adults with DS. Conclusion: This study finds that adults with Down syndrome exhibit specific motor patterns when performing lateral jumps, characterized by greater oscillations in mediolateral and anteroposterior accelerations and by lower vertical stability. The multivariate approach based on accelerometry demonstrates the ability to classify groups and reveal subtleties of motor performance not detected by observational assessments.