Timing and force control deficits in clumsy children
L Lundy-Ekman1, R Ivry, S Keele
1Department of Physical Therapy, Pacific University.
Insights
Clumsy children show distinct motor control deficits. Cerebellar dysfunction impacts timing, while basal ganglia issues affect force control, revealing separate neural systems for coordination.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Control Research
Background:
- Clumsiness in children is often linked to motor control deficits.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of motor control is crucial for developmental disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive processes and neural structures in motor control.
- To differentiate motor control deficits in clumsy children based on neurological signs.
Main Methods:
- Assessed motor and perceptual timing, and force control in clumsy children and controls.
- Categorized clumsy children based on soft neurological signs indicating cerebellar or basal ganglia dysfunction.
- Utilized tasks measuring interval timing, perceptual timing, and isometric force control.
Main Results:
- Clumsy children with cerebellar signs exhibited deficits in both motor and perceptual timing.
- Clumsy children with basal ganglia signs showed impairments in force control, not timing.
- A double dissociation was observed between neurological signs and specific motor control deficits.
Conclusions:
- Motor timing and force control are distinct components of coordination.
- These distinct computations rely on separate neural systems, specifically the cerebellum for timing and basal ganglia for force control.
- Findings support a neurodevelopmental model of motor control specialization.
Abstract:
This study investigated the link between cognitive processes and neural structures involved in motor control. Children identified as clumsy through clinical assessment procedures were tested on tasks involving movement timing, perceptual timing, and force control. The clumsy children were divided into two groups: those with soft neurological signs associated with cerebellar dysfunction and those with soft neurological signs associated with dysfunction of the basal ganglia. A control group of age-matched children who did not exhibit evidence of clumsiness or soft neurological signs was also tested. The results showed a double dissociation between the two groups of clumsy children and the tests of timing and force. Clumsy children with cerebellar signs were more variable when attempting to tap a series of equal intervals. They were also more variable on the time perception task, indicating a deficit in motor and perceptual timing. The clumsy children with basal ganglia signs were unimpaired on the timing tasks. However, they were more variable in controlling the amplitude of isometric force pulses. These results support the hypothesis that the control of time and force are separate components of coordination and that these computations are dependent on different neural systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Hierarchy of Motor Control
01:12Alterations in Muscle Tone ll
01:07Time-Domain Interpretation of PD Control
Consider the example of control of motor torque. Initially, a positive...