“Aplicación de la musicoterapia en la coordinación motora y equilibrio en deportistas con síndrome de down”

Abstract

Down Syndrome (SD) is a chromosomal disorder caused by the additional presence of part or all of chromosome 21, which causes a series of physical, physiological and cognitive disorders in those who suffer from it. The vestibular and optokinetic system of the brain is affected, so one of the main features of this syndrome is the loss of balance and motor coordination. The main objective of this research was to determine the effects of the application of music therapy on motor coordination and balance in athletes with Down syndrome belonging to Special Olympics Ecuador from Quito. An intervention protocol was applied with a sample of six male athletes with Down syndrome, whose ages range between 15 and 42 years. During 8 weeks of intervention, 3 times for week and 60 minutes each one. An evaluation was made at the beginning and end of the intervention through the KTK Test, and Romberg Test. This intervention was based on a training program with neurological music therapy of 15 exercises distributed in three difficulty levels high, medium and low. The intervention with neurological music therapy during the 8 weeks of intervention produces positive results on evaluated variables, improving the motor coordination by an average of 12% and the balance by 17%.