The balance and gait disorders in Steinert disease (or myotonic dystrophy type 1, DM1) have a multifactorial origin. While muscular damage contributes (in particular weakness of the leg muscles), sensory damage could also be involved.
An Italian team compared balance in 16 DM1 patients and 40 control patients.
- They showed that there was proprioceptive and vestibular impairment in DM1 patients.
- To compensate, the patients use visual information more than the others.
Vestibular and proprioceptive rehabilitation is recommended to secure walking in DM1.
