Impact of tactile function on upper limb motor function in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
Lauren E Cox1, Elizabeth C Harris1, Megan L Auld1
1Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
Insights
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) show tactile dysfunction, impacting handwriting. Impaired touch localization is linked to motor difficulties, suggesting targeted tactile assessments for DCD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting motor skills.
- Tactile sensory processing is crucial for fine motor control and functional tasks.
- The relationship between tactile dysfunction and motor deficits in DCD requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate tactile dysfunction in children with DCD compared to typically developing (TD) children.
- To examine the relationship between tactile perception and upper limb motor function in DCD.
- To identify specific tactile deficits that may underlie motor difficulties in DCD.
Main Methods:
- Participants included 36 children aged 6-12 years, with 20 diagnosed with DCD and 16 TD controls.
- Assessments included tactile registration, spatial perception (Single Point Localisation, two-point discrimination), haptic perception (Stereognosis), hand function (Jebsen-Taylor Test of Hand Function), and handwriting (Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting).
- Statistical analyses, including regression, were used to compare groups and identify predictors of motor function.
Main Results:
- Children with DCD exhibited poorer touch localization in the non-dominant hand compared to TD children.
- DCD group showed slower alphabet writing speed and less legible handwriting.
- No significant differences were found in the speed of simple everyday manual tasks between groups.
Conclusions:
- Tactile dysfunction, particularly impaired single-point localization, is present in children with DCD.
- Spatial tactile perception predicts handwriting legibility and functional task speed.
- Single point localization assessment is recommended to understand upper limb motor difficulties in DCD.
Abstract:
This study investigated the presence of, and relationship between tactile dysfunction and upper limb motor function in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) compared to typical developing (TD) children. Participants were 36 children aged 6-12 years. Presence of DCD (n=20) or TD (n=16) was confirmed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, second edition. All children participated in a comprehensive assessment of tactile registration (Semmes Weinstein Monofilaments); tactile spatial perception (Single Point Localisation (SPL) and two-point discrimination (2PD)); haptic perception (Stereognosis); speed of simple everyday manual tasks (Jebsen-Taylor Test of Hand Function (JTTHF)); and handwriting speed and accuracy (Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting (ETCH)). Compared to TD children, children with DCD demonstrated poorer localisation of touch in the non-dominant hand (p=0.04), slower speed of alphabet writing (p<0.05) and less legible handwriting (p<0.01), but no difference in speed of simple everyday manual tasks (JTTHF: p>0.05). Regression analysis showed that spatial tactile perception (SPL) predicted handwriting legibility (ETCH: r=0.11) and speed of functional tasks (JTTHF: r=0.33). These results suggest that tactile function, specifically single point localisation, should be a primary tactile assessment employed to determine reasons for upper limb motor difficulties experienced by children with DCD.
