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Development of isometric force and force control in children

B C M Smits-Engelsman1, Y Westenberg, J Duysens

  • 1Nijmegen Institute for Cognition and Information (NICI), University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. engelsman@nici.kun.nl

Brain Research. Cognitive Brain Research
|May 24, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Motor control development in children is crucial for daily activities.
  • Understanding the maturation of the corticospinal tract aids in assessing motor development.
  • Force control tasks provide insights into neural maturation and feedback mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the maturation of isometric force control in children aged 5-12.
  • To determine the relationship between corticospinal tract maturation and force variability.
  • To explore age-related changes in motor control strategies, including feedback and feedforward mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Participants performed a sustained isometric force task with visual feedback.
  • Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) and force variability were measured.
  • Power spectral density analysis examined frequency bands related to motor control.

Main Results:

  • Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) matured across all age groups.
  • Force variability maturation primarily occurred up to age 9-10.
  • Developmental differences in power spectral density indicated shifts in control strategies with age.

Conclusions:

  • Motor control, specifically force variability, matures significantly by age 9-10, aligning with corticospinal tract development.
  • Younger children rely more on external feedback, while older children and adults utilize internal representations and feedforward control.
  • These findings highlight the neural basis of motor skill acquisition and refinement during childhood.

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