Effects of Quiet Eye Training on Performance of Bimanual Coordination in Children with DCD

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are physically characterized by poor motor coordination and are at particular risk of losing their motor control. Quiet eye training (QET), with the latest techniques as an uncomplicated approach recently entered the field of rehabilitation research, has drawn the researchers' attention. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of QET on the performance of bimanual coordination in children with DCD.

Children with DCD (n=20; aged 8-9 years) were randomly divided into two groups, including QET and traditional training (TT). The participants performed bimanual in-phase and anti-phase movements with their wrists at three speed levels ranging from slow to fast. Bimanual coordination accuracy was assessed at the baseline, after 4 weeks at study completion, and at the retention test.

Bimanual coordination improved over time from the baseline to study completion. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest in the QET group (P=0.001), and bimanual coordination accuracy in the posttest significantly increased, compared to that reported for the pretest. Moreover, there was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest in bimanual coordination accuracy in the TT group (P=0.01), and the posttest accuracy significantly increased (F=2.32); however, the increase was less than that of the QET group.

The obtained results indicated that the performance of the in-phase and anti-phase coordination modes was strongly influenced by QET. Furthermore, it was concluded that a successful performance of a bimanual linear task mainly depends on the availability of visual feedback.