ESPE Abstracts (2014) 82 WG6.4

ESPE2014 Working Groups Turner (4 abstracts)

Motor Performance in Turner Syndrome

Janielle van Alfen


Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands


The aim of this presentation is to give an overview of motor disabilities in girls with Turner syndrome (TS), the impact on daily life and suggestions for treatment.

Girls with TS show substantially lower performance in gross and fine motor function tests and motor milestones are achieved relatively late. Moreover, girls with TS frequently encounter problems in specific motor functioning i.e. oral-motor and visual-motor coordination, motor learning and problems with accuracy and movement speed.

In our clinic, evaluation of motor function is part of the routine multidisciplinary evaluation in patients with TS. At the age of 5, 11, and 16 years, patients are screened for motor performance impairments by means of the movement assessment battery for children-2 (MABC-2). Visual coordination of visual perception in relation to finger-hand movements is tested by means of the developmental test of visual motor integration (VMI) and if appropriate a test for handwriting difficulties is used. In this presentation, we present the results of our motor screening.

Impaired motor ability can result in multiple practical problems that are age specific. Examples of these practical consequences include feeding difficulties (infant), problems with writing, participation in sports (school age), choice of study and employment (adolescents). We discuss practical suggestions for coaching and treatment.

In our opinion, adequate counseling by an experienced physical therapist and physician is important to optimize support for girls with TS at the level of activities and participation.

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