Motor Competence in individuals with Down syndrome: is an improvement still possible in Adulthood?

In children, motor competence (MC) and the amount of physical activity are tightly inter-connected. In adults with Down syndrome (DS), MC has been poorly addressed, resulting in a limited understanding of the possibility to improve MC over time. Here, we aim to: (1) investigate MC in adults with DS by comparing them with a group of typically developed peers and (2) verify the effect of an adapted karate program on MC. Adults with DS (DSG; n = 57) and typically developed adults (TDG; n = 21) performed the Test of Gross Motor Development version 3 (TGMD-3). The total TGMD-3 score (TOTTGMD-3), the locomotor (LOCTGMD-3), and object control (OBJ TGMD-3) scores were computed. After a 40 week adapted karate program, DSG (n = 37) underwent the post-training TGMD-3 assessment. Compared to TDG, DSG showed lowerTOTTGMD-3 (DSG: 45.5 ± 17.3; TDG: 77.3 ± 9.5),LOCTGMD-3 (DSG: 22.2 ± 10.0; TDG: 36.2 ± 7.6) andOBJ TGMD-3 (DSG: 23.3 ± 10.9; TDG: 41.1 ± 5.6). After the training,TOTTGMD-3,LOCTGMD-3 andOBJ TGMD-3 increased by 35.6%, 30.0% and 40.7%, respectively. Our results suggest that MC acquisition does not evolve into a mature form in adulthood in individuals with DS. Moreover, a brief exposure to an adapted karate program induces an increase in motor competence in DS, even in adulthood.