The effect of Bharatanatyam mudras on the quality of fine motor functions in Down syndrome children Doi: https://doi.org/10.55522/jhpo.V3I1.0049

Abstract

One of the primary treatment objectives in children with Down syndrome is the enhancement of the fine motor skills since the motor disability has a significant impact on the normal living and self-independence. The purpose of the research was to examine the feasibility of Bharatanatyam hasta mudras as a group intervention in improving the quality of fine motor and performance of functional tasks. The protocol was given to forty 6-12 years of age children, where two mudrases were presented during the first five sessions and graded speed practice and functional integration practiced during other sessions. Pre-intervention and post-intervention tests that were set up in visual motor worksheets, coordination, pre-intervention and post-intervention tests included pre- and post-intervention tasks of pre- and post-intervention tests: pre- and post-intervention prehension and precision tasks and time-based fine motor tasks. The results showed statistically significant and stable improvement in all of the areas, which are reflected in increased repetitions, increased hand coordination, increased ability to control movement and reduced the performance of daily functional activities as measured by the number of seconds to press a button, tie shoelaces and open locks. These results imply that the multisensory, rhythmic and proprioceptive elements of Bharatanatyam mudras can be used effectively to facilitate motor learning, dexterity and perceptual-motor integration among children with down syndrome. Being a culturally-based, cost-efficient intervention, mudra-based training can be used as an addition to the existing rehabilitation strategies. Long-term follow-up of a bigger sample size should be conducted in further research.