The Impact of Cognition on Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition Using a Robot Intervention in Infants With Cerebral
Raghuveer Chandrashekhar1, Hongwu Wang1, Josiah Rippetoe2
1Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
Insights
Cognitive function impacts motor learning in infants using the Self-Initiated Prone Progression Crawler (SIPPC) robot. Lower cognitive ability in infants with Cerebral Palsy (CP) correlated with delayed motor skill improvement.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Robotics in Rehabilitation
Background:
- Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a persistent neurodevelopmental disorder affecting motor function from infancy.
- Robotic-assisted early interventions show promise for CP motor rehabilitation.
- The role of cognitive function in robotic-assisted motor learning for infants with CP remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how cognitive function influences motor learning in infants with and without CP using the Self-Initiated Prone Progression Crawler (SIPPC) robot.
- To analyze the relationship between cognitive status and motor skill acquisition during robotic intervention.
Main Methods:
- A randomized control trial assessed movement learning in infants with or at risk for CP over 16 weeks using the SIPPC robot.
- Cognitive function was measured using the Bayley scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third edition (Bayley-III).
- Motor function was evaluated using the Movement Observation Coding Scheme (MOCS), with infants grouped by baseline cognitive scores.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements over time were observed in all MOCS subscales (p < 0.0001).
- A significant interaction between cognitive group and time was found for MOCS subscales 1 and 2 (p < 0.05).
- Infants in different cognitive groups showed significant differences in achieving the crawling milestone (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions:
- Movement strategies for the SIPPC robot, as assessed by MOCS, are influenced by infant cognition.
- The SIPPC robot appears suitable for infants with CP, but lower cognitive ability is linked to slower motor skill development.
Abstract:
Background: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that encompasses multiple neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and persist through the lifespan of the individual. Early interventions for infants with CP utilizing assisted-motion robotic devices have shown promising effects in rehabilitation of the motor function skills. The impact of cognitive function during motor learning and skill acquisition in infants using robotic technologies is unclear. Purpose: To assess the impact of cognitive function of infants with and without CP on their motor learning using the Self-Initiated Prone Progression Crawler (SIPPC) robot. Methods: Statistical analysis was conducted on the data obtained from a randomized control trial in which the movement learning strategies in infants with or at risk for CP was assessed during a 16-week SIPPC robot intervention. Cognitive function was measured by the Bayley scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third edition (Bayley-III) and motor function was measured by the Movement Observation Coding Scheme (MOCS). The infants were categorized into three distinct groups based on their cognitive scores at baseline: "above average" (n1 = 11), "below average" (n2 = 10), and "average" (n3 = 26). Tri-weekly averages of the MOCS scores (observations at five time points) were used for the analyses. This study involved computing descriptive statistics, data visualization, repeated measures analysis of variances (rmANOVA), and survival analyses. Results: The descriptive statistics were calculated for the MOCS and Bayley III scores. The repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that there was a statistically significant effect of time (p < 0.0001) on scores of all subscales of the MOCS. A statistically significant effect of interaction between group and time (p < 0.05) was found in MOCS scores of subscales 1 and 2. The survival analyses indicated that infants in different cognition groups significantly differed (p < 0.0001) in their ability to achieve the crawling milestone within the 16-week intervention period. Conclusion: The findings in this study reveal the key movement strategies required to move the SIPPC robot, assessed by the MOCS, vary depending on the infants' cognition. The SIPPC robot is well-matched to cognitive ability of infants with CP. However, lower cognitive ability was related to delayed improvement in their motor skills.
More Related Videos
05:12Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another
Published on: September 18, 2017
08:26Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Published on: January 11, 2016
Related Concept Videos
01:20Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
01:21Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory