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Cognitive Control of Saccadic Eye Movements in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
Claudia C Gonzalez1, Mark Mon-Williams2, Siobhan Burke3
1College of Health and Life Sciences, Sports, Health and Exercise Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|November 5, 2016
Summary
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show deficits in planning and inhibiting eye movements, particularly when using advance information. Their motor control is impaired in complex tasks requiring prediction and inhibition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Cognitive control, including anticipation and inhibition, is crucial for movement preparation and execution.
- Saccadic eye movements are key mechanisms in visual attention control.
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects motor coordination and may impact cognitive control processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate saccadic eye movement control in children with DCD compared to typically developing (TD) children.
- To assess planning and inhibition of saccadic responses in these groups.
- To understand the role of advance information in motor control for children with DCD.
Main Methods:
- Saccadic eye movements and touch responses were measured in 8-12-year-old children with DCD and TD peers.
- Participants completed Cued and Non-Cued conditions, assessing performance separately and concurrently.
- Analysis focused on saccade kinematics, accuracy, and inhibitory errors.
Main Results:
- Saccade initiation kinematics were similar between DCD and TD groups.
- Advance information improved hand movement duration but worsened accuracy in the DCD group.
- Children with DCD made more inhibitory errors and had inaccurate fixation in Cued conditions.
Conclusions:
- Children with DCD demonstrate proficient saccade execution in reflexive tasks but struggle with predictive and inhibitory control.
- Deficits in cognitive control, specifically prediction and inhibition, are evident in children with DCD.
- These findings highlight impaired complex motor control processes in DCD, impacting visual attention and response execution.
