Related Experiment Videos
Spatial and temporal constraints on performance in children with movement co-ordination problems
L B Estil1, R P Ingvaldsen, H T A Whiting
1Program of Sport Sciences, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway. lise.estil@svt.ntnu.no
Experimental Brain Research
|November 1, 2002
Summary
Children with movement co-ordination problems (MCP) show significant delays and spatial errors in ball-catching tasks. Their reaching and grasping movements differ from typically developing peers, impacting interception performance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Movement co-ordination problems (MCP) affect children's motor skills.
- Understanding the specific kinematic differences in MCP is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate kinematic differences in reaching and grasping during a ball-catching task between children with MCP and controls.
- To explore the relationship between MCP and motor control systems.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory-based ball-catching task with kinematic analysis.
- Comparison of reaching (Experiment 1) and grasping (Experiment 2) subactions.
- Involved eight children with MCP and eight age-matched controls, assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC).
Main Results:
- Children with MCP exhibited significant spatial and temporal deficits in ball interception.
- MCP group initiated reaching movements later and grasping movements earlier than controls.
- MCP children demonstrated increased spatial errors during the task.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest distinct alterations in proximal and distal motor control systems in children with MCP.
- Motor control deficits in MCP impact visual-perceptual-motor integration during dynamic tasks.
- Results contribute to understanding the neurocognitive basis of movement disorders in children.