Atypical Postural Control Variability and Coordination Persist Into Middle and Older Adulthood in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Hang Qu, Jingying Wang, Desirae J Shirley and 6 others
PMID 40103348WHAT IT FOUND
Middle-aged and older autistic adults showed greater body sway when standing still but smaller, jerkier movements when asked to sway deliberately.
These differences persisted across age, suggesting atypical postural control that may contribute to higher fall risk in this population.
Key findings
01Autistic adults exhibited greater center of pressure standard deviation and trajectory length during static stance compared to non-autistic adults.
02During dynamic sway tasks, autistic adults showed smaller movement amplitude in the target direction but greater variability in range of motion compared to controls.
03Autistic adults demonstrated jerkier postural sway patterns during dynamic tasks, while non-autistic adults showed smoother movements, with no significant difference in sway frequency.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Excluded autistic adults with intellectual disability, dementia, or significant comorbidities, limiting generalizability to those groups. Most autistic participants (66%) were taking psychotropic medications, which may have influenced postural control. Cross-sectional design prevents tracking changes over time or establishing causality. Dynamic tasks lacked ecological validity compared to dual-task or perturbation conditions. Group differences in BMI and weight were present and controlled for, but may still influence sway.
Declared interests
None declared. Study supported by NIH and non-US government grants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these postural differences are solely due to autism-specific neurobiology; the high prevalence of psychotropic medication use in the autistic group (66%) and differences in BMI/weight could also influence sway patterns.