Gaze behaviour during walking in young adults with developmental coordination disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Motor Control

Background:

• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is characterized by motor coordination difficulties impacting daily functioning.
• Individuals with DCD often show deficits in visuospatial processing and oculomotor control.
• Gaze behavior during locomotion is critical for motor control, yet understudied in DCD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare gaze behavior during a walking task between young adults with DCD and typically developing peers.
• To identify differences and similarities in visual search strategies during locomotion.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of ten young adults with DCD and ten typically developing controls participated.
• Participants completed a walking task involving navigating irregularly placed targets.
• Eye tracking glasses were utilized to record gaze behavior throughout the task.

Main Results:

• Individuals with DCD walked at a slower pace compared to controls.
• DCD participants displayed a sequential gaze strategy, fixating each target individually.
• Typically developing individuals adopted a more anticipatory gaze strategy, looking further along the path.

Conclusions:

• Fundamental motor control deficits associated with DCD persist into adulthood, despite seemingly adequate daily functioning.
• This study is the first to highlight differences in gaze behavior during a daily living-like task in adults with DCD.
• Findings support the potential of gaze training interventions for improving daily functioning in individuals with DCD.