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Learning a novel rhythmic stepping task in children with probable developmental coordination disorder
Mario Inacio1, Patrick Esser2, Benjamin David Weedon2
1Centre for Movement, Occupation and Rehabilitation Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK; University of Maia, Maia, Portugal; Research Center in Sport Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development, Vila Real, Portugal.
Insights
Rhythmic cueing training significantly improved motor learning in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). These improvements in rhythmic stepping were maintained long-term, showing promise for DCD interventions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects ~6% of children, impacting physical activity participation and potentially persisting into adulthood.
- Neuromotor mechanisms of learning novel tasks with rhythmic cueing in DCD remain under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neuromotor mechanisms of learning a novel rhythmic stepping task in children with probable DCD.
- To assess the efficacy of a 7-week rhythmic cueing intervention on motor learning and retention in children with probable DCD.
Main Methods:
- 48 children with probable DCD and 37 typically developed (TD) children (ages ~13.9 years) were recruited.
- Participants performed a novel rhythmic stepping task, with and without a dual-task (auditory Stroop), instrumented with an IMU.
- A 7-week intervention of step training with rhythmic cueing was administered, followed by retention testing 5 weeks post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Initially, children with probable DCD exhibited greater step timing variability and were more affected by dual-task conditions compared to TD children.
- The intervention significantly improved step timing variability, peak power spectral density frequency, and relative power spectral density bandpower in both groups.
- All observed improvements were retained 5 weeks after the intervention concluded.
Conclusions:
- Rhythmic cueing intervention effectively enhances motor learning of rhythmic tasks in children with probable DCD.
- The findings suggest that rhythmic cueing is a promising therapeutic approach for improving motor function in children with DCD.
Background:
Developmental coordination disorder affects approximately 6% of children, interfering with participation in physical activity and can persist through adulthood. However, no studies have investigated the neuromotor mechanisms of learning of a novel task with rhythmic cueing.
Methods:
Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2nd edition was used to identify 48 children with probable developmental coordination disorder (13.9 ± 0.05 yrs., 27% male) and 37 typically developed (13.9 ± 0.10 yrs., 54% male). While instrumented with an inertial measurement unit, both groups performed a novel rhythmic stepping task and with a concurrent auditory stroop test (dual-task), underwent seven weeks of intervention with step training with rhythmic cuing and were tested for retention five weeks post-intervention.
Findings:
Initially, the group with probable developmental coordination disorder had a higher variability of step timing (coefficient of variation: 0.08 ± 0.003-typically developed - 0.09 ± 0.004-probable developmental coordination disorder, p < 0.05) and a frequency of peak power spectral density further from the target 0.5 Hz (0.50 ± 0.002 Hz-typically developed - 0.51 ± 0.003 Hz-probable developmental coordination disorder, p < 0.05), and were more affected by the dual-task: power spectral density at 0.5 Hz (-7.2 ± 3.3%-typically developed - -13.4 ± 4.6%- prob_DCD, p < 0.05) and stroop test errors (6.4 ± 1.1%-typically developed - -11.1 ± 2.4%- probable developmental coordination disorder, p < 0.05). The intervention led to similar improvements in both groups in coefficient of variation of step timing (0.12 ± 0.01-Pre - 0.07 ± 0.002-Post, p < 0.05), frequency of the peak power spectral density (0.51 ± 0.005 Hz-Pre - 0.50 ± 0.001 Hz-Post, p < 0.05) and relative power spectral density bandpower (3.2 ± 0.2%-Pre - 5.9 ± 0.3%-Post, p < 0.05). All improvements were retained after five weeks post-training.
Interpretation:
Rhythmic cueing shows strong promise for enhancing motor learning in children with probable developmental coordination disorder.
Trial Registration:
Retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with reference: NCT03150784.
