INVESTIGATION OF POSTURAL CONTROL IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

Children with leukemia may face balance impairments due to somatosensory, motor, muscular, and cognitive deficits that can persist into adulthood and increase fall risk. This study aimed to evaluate postural control in children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) undergoing consolidation therapy by comparing their performance with normative data to identify potential treatment-related impairments in sensory integration and balance. Thirteen children with ALL were recruited at Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation in Turkey, and divided into two age groups: 6–7 years (n = 9) and 8–9 years (n = 4). Static balance was evaluated using the modified Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction on Balance (mCTSIB) with the Balance Master system. The test assessed postural control under four conditions: Eyes Open-firm surface (FirmEO), Eyes Closed-firm surface (FirmEC), eyes open-unstable (foam) surface (FoamEO), and eyes closed-unstable (foam) surface (FoamEC). The center of gravity's average sway speed (°/s) was measured for each condition, with higher values indicating reduced balance capability. Normative data for each condition were obtained from previous studies on healthy children. In the 6–7 years group, sway speeds during FirmEO and FirmEC were 0.92 s and 0.97 s, respectively, compared to norms of 0.70s and 0.92s. Under foam conditions, FoamEO reached 1.31s (norm: 1.20s), while FoamEC was 1.81s, nearly identical to the normative 1.80s. In the 8–9 years group, FirmEO was 0.55s (norm: 0.40s) and FirmEC was 0.65s (norm: 0.53s). FoamEO measured 0.82s (norm: 0.89s), whereas FoamEC was 1.70s (norm: 1.47s). Overall, these results suggest that children with ALL generally exhibit elevated sway speeds ‒ particularly under firm conditions ‒ implying impaired postural control and potential challenges in sensory integration. Our findings demonstrate that postural control is compromised in children with ALL undergoing consolidation therapy. Elevated sway speeds on firm surfaces suggest diminished balance performance, while the mixed results on foam conditions highlight difficulties with sensory integration. These preliminary observations underscore the need for targeted interventions and further research with larger samples to clarify the mechanisms behind these deficits.