Comparison of Static Balance Control in Infected Htlv-1 Subjects with Different Tsp/Ham Diagnosis

Kelly Helorany Alves Costa; Patrícia Seixas Alves Santos; Gizele Cristina da Silva Almeida; Andrew Sousa Caires; Beatriz Helena Baldez Vasconcelos; Ramon Costa Lima; Mariangela Moreno Domingues; Maria da Conceição Nascimento Pinheiro; Rita Catarina Medeiros Sousa; Anselmo de Athayde Costa E Silva; Givago Silva Souza; Bianca Callegari

doi:10.3390/v14112334

Comparison of Static Balance Control in Infected Htlv-1 Subjects with Different Tsp/Ham Diagnosis

Viruses. 2022 Oct 25;14(11):2334. doi: 10.3390/v14112334.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66005240, Brazil.
² Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075110, Brazil.
³ Universidade Federal de Rorraima, Boa Vista 69310000, Brazil.
⁴ Instituto de Ciências da Educação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075110, Brazil.
⁵ Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66005240, Brazil.

Abstract

(1) Background: Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP/HAM) associated with the T cell lymphotropic virus in type I humans (HTLV-1) is a slow, chronic, and progressive disease that causes balance changes. TSP/HAM diagnosis can be classified as probable, possible, and definite. We compared the static balance control of HTLV-1-infected patients with different TSP/HAM diagnosis. (2) Methods: Our sample consisted of 13 participants infected with HTLV-1 and 16 healthy participants. The center of pressure was recorded using a force platform with open and closed eyes. We divided the recordings into three intervals, period T1 (corresponds to the first 10 s); period T2 (from 10 to 45 s); period T3 (from 45 to 55 s). (3) Results: Eight participants infected with HTLV-1 were classified as probable TSP/HAM and five participants infected with HTLV-1 were classified as definite TSP/HAM. There was a significant increase in postural instability in patients with definite PET/MAH considering the structural and global variables of body sway compared to the control and the probable TSP/HAM. (4) Conclusions: We concluded that the severity of balance is directly related to the degree of signs and symptoms of TSP/HAM.

Keywords: HTLV-1; postural balance; stabilometry; tropical spastic paraparesis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Diagnosis, Differential
HTLV-I Infections*
Healthy Volunteers
Human T-lymphotropic virus 1*
Humans
Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic* / diagnosis

Grants and funding

This work was supported by research grants from Brazilian funding agencies: Research Funding and the National Council of Research Development (CNPq/Brazil, No. 431748/2016-0). GS was a CNPq Productivity Fellow (No. 310845/2018-1). KHAC, PAS, are graduate CAPES fellows. Sponsors had no role in the study design.