Testing predictive control of movement in children with developmental coordination disorder using converging
Imke L J Adams1, Jessica M Lust1, Peter H Wilson2
1Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Insights
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show internal modelling deficits in motor imagery and action planning. However, rapid online control remains unaffected, suggesting task-specific challenges in DCD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Systematic reviews suggest internal modelling deficits underlie developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
- Previous research has not rigorously tested this hypothesis with a within-subject design across various motor tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate internal modelling deficits in children with DCD.
- To assess motor imagery, action planning, and rapid online control (ROC) in DCD.
- To determine if internal modelling deficits vary with task constraints in DCD.
Main Methods:
- A within-subject design was used with 33 children with DCD and 33 age/gender-matched controls (aged 6-11 years).
- Motor imagery was assessed using the hand rotation task (HRT).
- Action planning was evaluated with an end-state comfort effect test, and ROC with a double-step pointing task.
Main Results:
- Children with DCD were significantly slower and less accurate on the HRT compared to controls.
- DCD group exhibited reduced forward planning for a comfortable end-state.
- No significant group differences were observed in the ROC task.
Conclusions:
- Children with DCD demonstrate internal modelling deficits, particularly in motor imagery and action planning.
- These deficits appear to be modulated by task complexity and constraints.
- Rapid online control is less affected, indicating specific areas of difficulty within internal modelling for DCD.
Abstract:
Recent systematic reviews (Wilson et al., 2013, Dev. Med. Child Neurol., 55, 217; Adams et al., 2014, Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev., 47C, 225) suggest that a common underlying problem in developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is the internal modelling deficit. The study presented here is the first to test this hypothesis using a within-subject design, assessing motor imagery, action planning, and rapid online control (ROC) in a sample of children screened rigorously for DCD. Participants were 66 children; 33 children (26 boys and seven girls) aged 6-11 years in the DCD group and 33 controls (gender and age matched). Motor imagery was assessed with the hand rotation task (HRT), action planning with an end-state comfort effect test, and ROC with the double-step pointing task. Results showed that children with DCD were slower and less accurate than controls in the HRT. Reduced forward planning for comfortable end-state was also shown in DCD. Finally, no group differences were found on the ROC task. Collectively, children with DCD manifest deficits in the internal modelling of movements, but this varies under different task constraints, particularly those related to movement complexity.
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