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Pilot Study to Measure Deficits in Proprioception in Children With Somatodyspraxia
1Virginia Way Tong Chu, PhD, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond; vchu@vcu.edu.
Importance:
Given the importance of proprioception in motor coordination, the identification of sensory deficits contributing to motor challenges is crucial for appropriate intervention; however, objective proprioceptive tests are not currently available in pediatric clinical practice.
Objective:
To pilot test methods for assessing proprioception in children. Children with somatodyspraxia were predicted to have reduced proprioceptive awareness compared with age-matched control children.
Design:
Observational study.
Setting:
Individual clinic.
Participants:
Ten children identified as having somatodyspraxia and 10 typically developing children, ages 6-8 yr.
Outcomes And Measures:
Spatial awareness and force perception were assessed by having the children match arm positions and grip and pinch forces using electronic dynamometers.
Results:
All children were able to complete the proprioceptive assessments. Of those identified as having somatodyspraxia, 90% showed deficits in at least one area of proprioception. Children with somatodyspraxia performed more poorly on spatial awareness and force perception tests than typically developing children (p < .05).
Conclusions And Relevance:
Children with dyspraxia have difficulties with spatial awareness and force perception, confirming a somatosensory contribution to dyspraxia.
What This Article Adds:
This article presents a framework and methods to measure proprioception in children. These methods will allow occupational therapy practitioners to quantify the proprioceptive deficits common in children with dyspraxia.
