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Published on: March 16, 2015
Auditory-Perceptual and Auditory-Motor Timing Abilities in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A
Marija Pranjić1,2, Niloufaralsadat Hashemi2,3, Anne B Arnett4,5
1Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1C5, Canada.
Insights
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) struggle with rhythmic movements and motor responses. This review highlights a gap in understanding their auditory perceptual timing abilities.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is often underdiagnosed, frequently masked by co-occurring conditions.
- Understanding the sensory-motor integration in DCD is crucial for diagnosis and intervention.
- Auditory-motor timing and synchronization are key aspects of motor control that may be affected in DCD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct the first comprehensive review of research on auditory-motor timing and synchronization in children with DCD.
- To investigate potential associations between impaired motor performance and auditory perceptual timing difficulties in DCD.
- To identify gaps in the current literature concerning auditory processing in DCD.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review was performed across five major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus).
- The review followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines, with studies screened by two independent reviewers.
- Sixteen articles were included and synthesized based on auditory-perceptual, motor, or auditory-motor timing modalities.
Main Results:
- Children with DCD exhibit difficulties in rhythmic movements, both with and without auditory cues.
- Variability and slowness in motor response appear to be characteristic of DCD across tasks.
- A significant gap exists in research specifically examining auditory perceptual abilities in children with DCD.
Conclusions:
- Children with DCD demonstrate motor timing and synchronization deficits.
- Further research is needed to explore auditory perceptual timing and its role in DCD.
- Investigating auditory stimuli's impact on performance in paced vs. unpaced tasks could inform therapeutic strategies for DCD.
Abstract:
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) remains largely underdiagnosed and masked by other co-occurring conditions. The aim of this study was to (1) provide the first review of research regarding auditory-motor timing and synchronization abilities in children with DCD and (2) examine whether reduced motor performance may be associated with difficulties in auditory perceptual timing. The scoping review was carried out across five major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus) in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Studies were screened by two independent reviewers against the inclusion criteria, without publication date restrictions. From an initial return of 1673 records, 16 articles were included in the final review and synthesized based on the timing modality studied (i.e., auditory-perceptual, motor, or auditory-motor). Results suggest that children with DCD have difficulties with rhythmic movements both with and without external auditory cues and further indicate that variability in and slowness of motor response are key characteristics of DCD, regardless of the experimental task. Importantly, our review highlights a significant gap in the literature regarding auditory perceptual abilities in DCD. In addition to testing auditory perception, future studies should compare the performance of children with DCD on paced and unpaced tasks to determine whether auditory stimuli contribute to a more or less stable performance. This knowledge may inform future therapeutic interventions.
