Measurements of Neuromuscular Tone and Strength in Down's Syndrome Children

Twenty-eight Down's syndrome children and 22 normal children were evaluated for patellar tendon reflex, muscle tone and grip strength. All of this subjects were between the ages of 4 and 17 years. It was the purpose of this study to determine the differences between Down's syndrome and normal children. The standard patellar reflex test was used for one measure of muscle tone, and a locally devised muscle palpation test for the second measure of muscle tone. Finally, grip strength was employed as our measure of muscle strength. Results indicated that Down's syndrome children had a less brisk and more irregular patellar reflex response than normal controls. Furthermore, overall muscular tone was less in these Down's syndrome subjects and finally, muscular grip strength was inferior in Down's syndrome children when compared to normal children. Implications for increased physical education and physical activity are noted for this special population.