Immediate effects of a 30-min hippotherapy session on center of pressure displacement in children with autism spectrum disorder: A quasi-experimental study.

Overview

• This study examined the immediate impact of a 30-minute hippotherapy session on the postural control of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to typically developing children.
• Researchers measured changes in center of pressure (CoP) displacement, an indicator of balance and postural stability, before and after therapy under different sensory conditions.

Background and Purpose

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting sensorimotor functions, often impairing postural control and stability.
• Hippotherapy (HPOT) utilizes the movement of horses to provide sensory stimuli and motor challenges, potentially improving balance and postural control.
• The study aimed to investigate whether a single 30-minute session of HPOT could immediately influence balance, measured through center of pressure (CoP) displacement, in children with ASD versus children with typical development (TD).

Methods

• Participants:
  • Total of 120 children: 60 diagnosed with ASD (ASDG) and 60 with typical development (TDG).
• Intervention:
  • Children participated in a single 30-minute hippotherapy session riding a horse while seated on a saddle.
• Assessment:
  • CoP displacement was measured immediately before (PRE) and after (POS) the session.
  • Assessment was conducted standing, using an inertial sensor under two sensory conditions:
    • Open Eyes / Rigid Surface (OE/RS) – a standard balance condition.
    • Closed Eyes / Foam surface (CE/FO) – a more challenging sensory condition removing visual input and creating unstable footing.
• Data Analysis:
  • Two-way ANOVA tests assessed differences based on time (PRE vs. POS) and group (ASDG vs. TDG) for each sensory condition.

Results

• Both ASD and typically developing children showed immediate changes in CoP displacement after the 30-minute hippotherapy session.
• Greater improvements in balance (reduced CoP displacement suggesting better postural control) were observed under the more difficult sensory condition (CE/FO).
• Children with ASD exhibited more pronounced changes during the challenging condition compared to typically developing children, indicating a potentially higher benefit.

Conclusions and Implications

• The rhythmic and consistent postural adjustments required while mounted on a moving horse provide a meaningful sensory-motor stimulus.
• This stimulus can immediately improve postural control as reflected by changes in CoP displacement in children with ASD.
• The findings support the notion that postural control is trainable and responsive to interventions like hippotherapy in children with autism.
• Such immediate effects suggest hippotherapy could be a valuable component of therapeutic approaches targeting sensorimotor deficits in ASD.