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Prehension movements and motor development in children.
J P Kuhtz-Buschbeck1, A Boczek-Funcke, M Illert
1Department of Physiology, University of Kiel, Olshausenstrasse 40, D-24098 Kiel, Germany, kuhtz@physiologie.uni-kiel.de
Experimental Brain Research
|September 4, 1999
Summary
Sensorimotor function maturation in children shows age-related improvements in dexterity and movement speed. However, different motor skill tests do not consistently correlate, indicating no single pathway for sensorimotor development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Motor control
- Human kinetics
Background:
- Manual dexterity and sensorimotor functions undergo significant development from childhood to adulthood.
- Understanding these developmental trajectories is crucial for identifying potential developmental delays or disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the maturation of manual dexterity and sensorimotor functions in healthy children (4-5 years) and adults.
- To analyze kinematic aspects of reaching, grasping, bimanual tasks, and repetitive tapping.
- To evaluate a comprehensive motor function score (MOT) for agility and balance.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral tests including reaching and grasping kinematics, a bimanual coordination task, and fast repetitive tapping.
- Kinematic analysis of movement trajectories and grip aperture.
- Administration of a comprehensive motor function score (MOT) assessing agility and balance.
Main Results:
- Reaching trajectories became straighter with age.
- Children exhibited wider grip apertures than adults, suggesting a higher safety margin.
- Movement speed in tapping and bimanual tasks increased with age, as did MOT scores.
Conclusions:
- While various behavioral tests indicate maturational changes in sensorimotor functions, results across different tasks were largely uncorrelated.
- This suggests that sensorimotor development is multifaceted, with no single measure fully predicting performance across all motor skills.