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Vertical and horizontal smooth pursuit eye movements in children with developmental coordination disorder
Matthieu P Robert1, Isabelle Ingster-Moati, Eliane Albuisson
1Faculty of Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Ophthalmology, Hôpital universitaire Necker-Enfants malades, AP-HP, Paris, France.
Insights
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show impaired vertical smooth pursuit eye movements, suggesting a maturational delay in their visual pursuit system. This impacts eye-hand coordination and visuospatial abilities.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects motor skills and can impact visual-motor integration.
- Smooth pursuit eye movements are crucial for visual tracking and are indicative of neurological development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate horizontal and vertical smooth pursuit eye movements in children diagnosed with DCD.
- To compare eye movement patterns between children with DCD and typically developing peers.
Main Methods:
- Electro-oculography was used to record smooth pursuit eye movements in 91 children (7-12 years old).
- Participants included 27 children with DCD and 64 comparison children.
- Statistical analysis compared pursuit gain indices between groups, with adjustment for age.
Main Results:
- Horizontal smooth pursuit gain was comparable between children with DCD and controls.
- Vertical smooth pursuit gain was significantly impaired in children with DCD compared to controls (p<0.001).
- Within the DCD group, intervention subgroup showed higher vertical pursuit index than non-intervention subgroup (p=0.009).
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a delay in the maturation of the pursuit system in children with DCD.
- Impaired vertical smooth pursuit may contribute to other motor and visual-spatial difficulties observed in DCD.
Aim:
Our aim was to study horizontal and vertical smooth pursuit eye movements in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
Method:
Horizontal and vertical smooth pursuit eye movements of 91 children were studied using electro-oculography: 27 children with DCD (23 males, four females), according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria, and 64 comparison children (26 males, 38 females). All children were 7 to 12 years old (mean 9y, SD 1.5y). Among the group of children with DCD, eight had received intervention. Intervention exercised static and dynamic fixation, saccades, visual strategies, visuospatial abilities, and eye-hand coordination. A smooth pursuit gain index was calculated and statistical comparisons were made between the two groups of children.
Results:
Horizontal pursuit gain was similar in both populations, but vertical pursuit gain was significantly impaired (p<0.001, after adjusting for age as covariate), i.e. more saccadic in children with DCD (18-99%; n=27, mean 51.6%, median 48.5%, SD 23.2%) than in comparison participants (35-97%; n=63, mean 66.4%, median 65.0%, SD 15.4%). Among the DCD group, the vertical pursuit index was also significantly higher (p=0.009) in the intervention subgroup (29-99%; n=8, mean 69.4%, median 75.5%, SD 28.7%) than in the non-intervention subgroup (18-74%; n=19, mean 44.1%, median 42.5%, SD 15.9%).
Interpretation:
These results suggest a delay in the maturation of the pursuit system in children with DCD.
