Proprioceptive Training Induced Adaptations of Static Balance Control: An RCT Study in Adults With Intellectual Disability.
Ten weeks of simple proprioceptive drills three times a week clearly improved static balance in adults with intellectual disability.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Rallis et al. (2025) ran a 10-week program for adults with mild-moderate intellectual disability.
Half joined a proprioceptive class three times a week. The other half kept their usual day-centre games.
Staff measured who stood steadier at the start and end.
What they found
The proprioceptive group stood still with less sway. The usual-activity group did not change.
Balance gains were large enough to matter in daily life.
How this fits with other research
Kovačič et al. (2020) already showed balance classes cut falls. Their mix of drills plus talks lasted 16 weeks. Konstantinos proves the balance part alone still works in 10.
Diemer et al. (2023) used heavy resistance bands. Strength went up, but balance only inched forward. The new study flips the result: proprioception first, big balance jump.
Enkelaar et al. (2013) warned that active clients fall more because they move more. This trial answers the worry: train the balance system and activity becomes safer.
Why it matters
You can now swap one lunch-hour per day for proprioceptive games and expect steadier adults in two months. No extra staff, no gear beyond foam pads and wobble boards. Start with ten-minute standing-on-one-foot contests while waiting for the bus. Track who wobbles less each week.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Adults with intellectual disability (ID) experience injurious falls that may affect their quality of life. The present randomised control trial (RCT) study examined the efficacy of a 10-week proprioceptive training programme, on static balance performance, in adults with mild to moderate ID. METHODS: Participants were voluntarily recruited from a day care centre and randomly assigned into the intervention (IG; n = 14; 36.4 ± 3.8 years; males/females = 8/6) and the control group (CG; n = 13; 37.6 ± 4.8 years; males/females = 7/6). The IG trained three times per week with the proprioceptive training programme, whereas both groups followed the regular adapted physical activity programme of the day care centre. Static balance was assessed before and after the intervention with three static balance tests [bipedal stance (60″), Tandem Romberg stance (30″) and single leg stance (15″)] performed on a force platform, whereas the Mini-BESTest was also used to assess aspects of static and dynamic balance in the field. RESULTS: The IG significantly improved (p < 0.05) test scores of the Mini-BESTest and decreased the range and the root mean square of the centre of pressure displacement during the bipedal, Tandem Romberg and single leg stance, in contrast to the CG who showed no improvement. CONCLUSION: The specific proprioceptive training programme improved the static balance of adults with ID and this could have a positive, significant impact in their daily life, as it may reduce the incidence of falls and relative injuries.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2025 · doi:10.1123/japa.17.2.167