Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
An Experiment Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Robot-Assisted Multi-Joint Pointing Movements of the Lower Limb
Published on: June 7, 2024
Parietal dysfunction in developmental coordination disorder: a functional MRI study
Mitsuru Kashiwagi1, Sunao Iwaki, Yoshifumi Narumi
1Department of Developmental Brain Science, Osaka Medical College, National Institute of Advanced, Industrial Science and Technology, Osaka, Japan. dbs003@art.osaka-med.ac.jp <dbs003@art.osaka-med.ac.jp>
Insights
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show impaired visuomotor skills due to lower brain activity in key motor regions. This study highlights potential neural underpinnings of clumsiness in DCD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects motor skills in children.
- The neural basis of clumsiness in DCD remains unclear.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms associated with visuomotor task performance in children with DCD.
- To compare brain activity between children with DCD and typically developing controls during a motor task.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used.
- A visuomotor tracking task involving a joystick was administered.
- 12 boys with DCD and 12 healthy controls (aged 9-12) participated.
Main Results:
- Children with DCD exhibited significantly lower accuracy in the visuomotor task compared to controls.
- fMRI revealed reduced brain activity in the left posterior parietal cortex and left postcentral gyrus in DCD children.
- These brain regions are critical for motor control and sensory processing.
Conclusions:
- Dysfunction in the left posterior parietal cortex and left postcentral gyrus may underlie impaired motor skills in DCD.
- These findings provide insights into the neural correlates of clumsiness in developmental coordination disorder.
- Further research can explore therapeutic strategies targeting these brain areas.
Abstract:
We aimed to detect the mechanisms underlying clumsiness in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of a visuomotor task was performed in 12 boys with DCD and 12 healthy boys (controls) (9-12 years old). They tracked a horizontally moving target by manipulating a joystick. With regard to the behavioural performance, DCD children were significantly less accurate than control children. The comparison of the activation maps showed that the brain activity in the left posterior parietal cortex and left postcentral gyrus was lower in the DCD children than in the control children. These results suggest that the dysfunction of these regions may be the neural underpinnings of impaired motor skill in DCD children.
