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Effect of a dual task on postural control in dyslexic children
Agathe Legrand1, Emmanuel Bui-Quoc, Karine Doré-Mazars
1Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neuropsychologie Cognitives, IUPDP, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Psychologie, Boulogne Billancourt, France. agathe.legrand@etu.parisdescartes.fr
Plos One
|April 24, 2012
Summary
Dyslexic children exhibit poorer postural control, especially when reading. This suggests a potential deficit in integrating sensory and motor information, impacting balance during complex tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Postural control in dyslexic children has been inconsistently reported.
- Understanding dual-task effects on balance is crucial for this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a dual-task (reading) on postural stability in dyslexic children.
- To compare postural control between dyslexic and non-dyslexic children during saccades and reading.
Main Methods:
- Eighteen dyslexic and 18 non-dyslexic children (mean age 10.3 years) participated.
- Postural stability was measured using a center of pressure (CoP) platform during saccades and silent reading.
- Reading performance was quantified by word count.
Main Results:
- Both groups were more stable during saccades than reading.
- Dyslexic children showed significantly greater postural instability than controls, particularly during reading.
- Dyslexic children read fewer words and demonstrated a different reading pattern compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- The attentional demands of reading may impair postural control in all children.
- Increased postural instability in dyslexic children supports theories of sensorimotor integration deficits.
- Findings highlight potential links between reading difficulties and motor control challenges.
