Related Experiment Videos
Implications of a dynamical systems approach to understanding infant kicking behavior
1Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Professions, St. Louis University Medical Center, MO 63104.
Insights
The dynamical systems approach offers a new framework for understanding infant movement dysfunction, emphasizing self-organization over traditional hierarchical models. This perspective impacts physical therapy for infants at risk of movement disorders.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Motor control
- Infant motor development
Background:
- Traditional motor development theories focus on hierarchical central nervous system maturation.
- The dynamical systems approach views movement as self-organizing through subsystem interactions.
- Understanding infant movement dysfunction requires re-evaluating existing developmental concepts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the implications of the dynamical systems approach for infant movement dysfunction.
- To explore the organization and developmental changes in infant leg movements using this approach.
- To examine how this perspective can influence physical therapy practices for at-risk infants.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical discussion of the dynamical systems approach.
- Analysis of leg movement organization in preterm and full-term infants.
- Examination of developmental changes from 34 to 40 weeks' gestational age.
- Presentation of preliminary data on high-risk preterm infants.
Main Results:
- Movement self-organization is highlighted as a key principle.
- Differences in movement patterns were observed between low-risk preterm and full-term infants.
- Preliminary data suggest unique movement characteristics in high-risk preterm infants.
Conclusions:
- The dynamical systems approach provides a valuable alternative to traditional motor development theories.
- Reinterpretation of motor development concepts is necessary.
- This perspective has significant potential to influence the evaluation and treatment of infants with movement dysfunction in physical therapy.
Abstract:
Implications of the dynamical systems approach to understanding movement dysfunction in infants are discussed. Traditional theories of motor development attribute changes in movement to the hierarchical maturation of the central nervous system. The dynamical systems approach emphasizes that movement self-organizes as the result of the interaction of the participating subsystems in developmental and real time. In this article, I discuss, from the theoretical perspective of the dynamical systems approach, the organization of leg movements in low- and high-risk preterm and full-term infants, developmental changes in movement in low-risk preterm infants from 34 weeks' gestational age to 40 weeks' postgestational age, and differences in movement between low-risk preterm infants at 40 weeks' postgestational age and full-term infants. Preliminary data on high-risk preterm infants are presented. Based on these data, the necessity to review and reinterpret traditional concepts of motor development is explored. Suggestions are offered and questions posed on how the dynamical systems perspective may influence the practice of physical therapy in the evaluation, and treatment of infants at risk for movement dysfunction.