How do children complete a seated combined cognitive and motor multi-tasking paradigm?

Area of Science:

• Developmental Motor Control
• Cognitive-Motor Integration
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Bimanual coordination and reaching are complex motor skills essential for daily activities.
• Understanding developmental trajectories of motor control in children is crucial for identifying developmental milestones and potential delays.
• Simultaneous cognitive and motor tasks challenge executive functions and motor planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the ability of healthy 7-year-old children and young adults to perform a seated bimanual balance and reaching task combined with an auditory Stroop task.
• To compare upper body segmental control and movement variability between children and adults during this dual-task condition.
• To assess the developmental status of motor performance control in children aged 7 years.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed a bimanual task requiring balancing a ball on a Frisbee while reaching to pick up an object.
• An auditory Stroop task was administered during half of the trials to assess cognitive load.
• Angular range of motion (ROM) of trunk, upper arm, and forearm segments was measured to analyze segmental control.

Main Results:

• Both children and adults successfully completed the combined motor and cognitive tasks, with high accuracy rates (77%) for the cognitive task.
• Analysis of ROM revealed that trunk, upper arm, and forearm segments moved articulately in both age groups.
• Children exhibited significantly greater variability in segmental ROM between trials and subjects compared to adults, indicating developing motor control.

Conclusions:

• Seven-year-old children can successfully integrate upper body motor and cognitive tasks in a seated posture.
• Adult-like segmental control in bimanual tasks is still developing by age 7.
• This study demonstrates age-related differences in motor performance control during dual-task scenarios.