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Published on: January 11, 2016
Developmental aspects of pluriarticular movement control
Isabelle Mackrous1, Luc Proteau
1Département de kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada. isamackrous@hotmail.com
Experimental Brain Research
|June 1, 2010
Summary
Children’s out-and-back movement control improves with age, especially for movements away from the body. Visual feedback plays a minor role in interjoint coordination when proprioception is intact.
Area of Science:
- Motor Control
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Precise control of multi-joint (pluriarticular) movements is essential for smooth, accurate motion.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of motor control in children is crucial for identifying typical and atypical development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in out-and-back movement accuracy between children and adults.
- To examine the influence of visual feedback on pluriarticular movement control in different age groups.
Main Methods:
- 36 children (6–12 years) and 12 adults performed out-and-back movements under normal vision and target-only conditions.
- Movement accuracy was assessed using reversal angle and overlapping error metrics.
- Proprioception and afferent information roles were inferred.
Main Results:
- Adults demonstrated sharper movement reversal than children, particularly for movements targeting eccentric locations.
- Pluriarticular movement control showed developmental improvement in eccentric workspace regions.
- Visual feedback did not significantly enhance movement reversal, even with errors, suggesting proprioception's dominance.
Conclusions:
- Pluriarticular movement control matures throughout childhood, especially for movements in outer workspace areas.
- Proprioception is more critical than visual feedback for interjoint coordination in intact systems.
- Movement planning may be more stable when relying on dynamic than static sensory information.
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