Effects of judo training on physical coordination and body sway in adolescents and young adults with multiple impairments and epilepsy

In a prospective, controlled study the effects of Judo training on physical coordination, body sway and psychomotor functions were investigated in adolescents and young adults with multiple handicaps and epilepsy. Improvements were expected in coordination and balance. The Judo group comprised 14 participants aged 13.9 to 25.6 years (mean age 18.3 years) with multiple handicaps, of whom 12 had epilepsy. The control group comprised 19 persons with multiple impairments aged 16.9 to 25.9 years (mean age 16.9 years), of whom 9 had epilepsy. The Judo group had regular sessions (1x per week) of an adapted Judo training, and the control group had no Judo training at all. The physical coordination test according to Kiphard Ft Schilling (KTK), posturography (to record body sway with open and closed eyes), the subtests "Tapping" and "Pegboard" from the motor performance series according to Schoppe (MLS) and the Viennese reaction device (visual and acoustic reaction times) were used to assess motor functions. The participants were examined prior to the start of the Judo training, after 6 and 12 months. The results of multivariate variance analyses indicated that - in contrast to the control group - the Judo group showed an improvement (significant interaction group x time, p<0.05) in physical coordination (KTK) and body sway, whereas no significant effect was observed of Judo training on fine-motor functions (zapping, pegboard) and reaction times.