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Visual contribution to walking in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
F J A Deconinck1, D De Clercq, G J P Savelsbergh
1Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Insights
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) rely more on visual cues for walking balance and speed control compared to typically developing children. This suggests a potential issue with their internal sensorimotor model.
Area of Science:
- Motor Control
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is linked to visuospatial processing deficits.
- Previous research focused on fine motor skills; this study examines gait control in DCD.
- Vision's role in walking for children with DCD is investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the contribution of visual information to gait control in children with DCD.
- To compare visual dependency during walking between children with DCD and typically developing (TD) children.
Main Methods:
- 12 children with DCD and 12 TD children walked in normal light and darkness.
- Spatiotemporal gait variables were measured using a 3D ProReflex camera system.
- Gait patterns were analyzed under different lighting conditions.
Main Results:
- Gait patterns were similar in normal light, with minor differences in support phase.
- In darkness, children with DCD showed reduced step frequency and length, slowing velocity.
- Children with DCD exhibited increased medio-lateral center of mass excursion in the dark, unlike TD children.
Conclusions:
- Children with DCD demonstrate a higher dependence on visual flow for walking balance and velocity control.
- This heightened visual reliance may stem from an underdeveloped internal sensorimotor model.
- Findings highlight the critical role of vision in motor coordination for children with DCD.
Background:
The motor co-ordination problems of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have been frequently associated with poor visuospatial processing. In order to extend these findings mainly based on fine motor experiments, the present study investigates the contribution of vision to the control of walking in children with DCD.
Methods:
Children with DCD (n = 12) walked at their preferred speed on a straight, firm and uncluttered walkway in a condition with normal lighting and in a dark condition. Spatiotemporal gait variables were assessed by means of a three-dimensional ProReflex camera system and compared with the gait pattern of matched, typically developing (TD) children (n = 12).
Results:
In normal lighting, the gait pattern of both groups was similar, with the exception of subtle differences in the temporal phasing, showing a slightly longer support phase in the children with DCD. In the dark, step frequency and step length were decreased in the children with DCD, resulting in a significantly slower walking velocity. In addition, the medio-lateral excursion of the centre of mass tended to increase in this group. In the TD children, adaptations to the spatiotemporal pattern remained absent.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that children with DCD are more dependent on global visual flow information than TD children for the maintenance of balance and the control of velocity during walking. This increased dependency on visual control might be associated with a poorly developed internal sensorimotor model.
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