INTRODUCTION: Many studies show evidences about characteristics of the motor and cognitive performance of subjects with Down Syndrome (DS). However, there is lack of studies that analyze the muscular force in these individuals. The alterations found in subjects with DS can impair their function and interfere in the capacity of the subjects to perform many activities and tasks of the daily routine independently. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of object's texture on grip force in subjects with DS. Ten individuals with diagnosis of DS were selected, with age between 4 and 30 years. METHODS: The grip force was measured with a transducer with two different textures. The proposed task for data collection was to hold the transducer, covered with two different textures, and carry it until a point previously demarcated, and later return it to the initial position. The data were analyzed through descriptive and nonparametric statistics. RESULTS: It was possible to observe that the rough texture was the one that demanded minor amount of grip force; however the nonparametric analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in grip force among textures. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that the object's texture did not influence the grip force carried out by individuals with DS.
Down Syndrome; Motor skills; Hand strength
