Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable
09:24

Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable

Published on: May 17, 2024

2.2K

Does a physiotherapy programme of gross motor training influence motor function and activities of daily living in

Sonill S Maharaj1, Riona Lallie2

  • 1Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The South African Journal of Physiotherapy
|August 24, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Gross motor training significantly improved motor skills in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Eight weeks of this physiotherapy intervention enhanced coordination and balance, offering a beneficial approach for DCD management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neurology
  • Physical Therapy

Background:

  • Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects children's motor skills and daily activities.
  • Motor difficulties in DCD are persistent without intervention.
  • Limited clinical protocols exist for DCD physiotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week gross motor training program for children aged 6-12 with DCD.
  • To determine if targeted physiotherapy improves gross motor function in DCD.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 64 children with DCD (Movement Assessment Battery for Children score ≤15th percentile).
  • Intervention group received 8 weeks of weekly 30-minute gross motor training (core stability, strength, balance, coordination, task-specific activities).
  • Control group received general therapy. Assessments included M-ABC and DCDQ pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

  • Sixty children completed the study. No adverse events were reported.
  • The intervention group showed significant improvements in M-ABC scores (6.46%), ball skills (3.54%), and balance (4.80%) compared to minimal changes in the control group.
  • Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) scores significantly improved (p < 0.05), with parent-reported scores higher than teacher-reported scores.

Conclusions:

  • Eight weeks of gross motor training is a beneficial physiotherapy intervention for improving gross motor function in children with DCD.
  • This program offers a structured approach to address motor deficits in DCD.
  • Further research may explore optimal training durations and specific components.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy09:18

Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Published on: January 12, 2019

10.9K
Measuring Motor Coordination in Mice10:07

Measuring Motor Coordination in Mice

Published on: May 29, 2013

102.2K

Related Concept Videos

Enteric Nervous System: Regulation of GI Motor Activity01:11

Enteric Nervous System: Regulation of GI Motor Activity

The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) plays a pivotal role in regulating gastrointestinal or GI motor activity. This complex network of nerves, deeply embedded within the gut wall, responds to changes in the gut environment and receives input from both the autonomic nervous system and the central nervous system. By doing so, the ENS operates various programs tailored to the body's nutritional status and needs.
During periods of fasting, the ENS initiates the migrating myoelectric complex, a...
1.9K
Motor Units00:46

Motor Units

A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.
62.0K
Motor Units01:13

Motor Units

The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
8.2K
Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
3.8K
Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

Hierarchy of Motor Control

The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.
6.3K
Direct Motor Pathways01:11

Direct Motor Pathways

The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and...
4.5K