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The Use of Open- and Closed-Loop Control During Goal-Directed Force Responses by Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol
Roger W Simmons1, Tanya T Nguyen2,3, Jennifer D Thomas2
1Motor Control Laboratory, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
Insights
Children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure show deficits in motor control, impacting their ability to regulate open-loop and closed-loop systems for goal-directed force responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Daily activities rely on open-loop and closed-loop motor control.
- Limited understanding exists on how prenatal alcohol exposure affects these systems in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate motor control differences in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.
- To analyze open-loop and closed-loop system regulation during force responses.
Main Methods:
- Compared children with (n=19) and without (n=23) heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.
- Participants matched target forces (25-50% MVC) within specific times (200-2000 ms).
- Force-time data analyzed for open-loop (initiation to first reversal) and closed-loop (remainder) phases.
Main Results:
- Alcohol-exposed children had shorter open-loop durations and higher force rates.
- They exhibited shorter times to reach peak force in the closed-loop phase.
- Greater absolute target force error was observed in the alcohol-exposed group.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure leads to deficits in goal-directed force responses.
- These deficits likely result from central nervous system insult.
- Therapeutic interventions should focus on recalibrating timing and improving visuomotor integration.
Background:
Many daily functional activities involve goal-directed responses based on open-loop and closed-loop motor control, yet little is known about how children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure organize and regulate these 2 types of control systems when completing a goal-directed force response.
Methods:
Children with (n = 19) or without (n = 23) heavy prenatal alcohol exposure were required to match a target force (25 and 50% of maximum voluntary force) in a specified target time (200, 800, and 2,000 ms). Target force and produced force were visually displayed on a computer monitor. The analog force-time record was parsed into 2 segments: the period beginning from force initiation to the first reversal in force was designated the open-loop phase, and the remainder of the response was the closed-loop phase.
Results:
Compared to controls, alcohol-exposed children produced a significantly shorter duration of open-loop control, a higher open-loop phase rate of force development, a shorter time to reach maximum force during the closed-loop phase, and greater absolute target force error. Increasing target force magnitude did not differentially alter the performance of the clinical group.
Conclusions:
The results indicate that alcohol-exposed children experience deficits in completing goal-directed force responses that likely stem from an alcohol-related insult to the central nervous system. Therapeutic exercises should be designed to recalibrate internal timing systems and improve visuomotor integration.
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