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Low Motor Dexterity and Significant Behaviors Following Hospitalized Isolation in Children
Kaitlin Fraser1, Miriam Kuhn2, Rebecca Swanson3
1Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA.
Insights
Hospitalized children undergoing isolation showed reduced gross dexterity and altered brain activity patterns. These findings suggest potential neuroplastic changes in the motor cortex due to isolation, impacting behavior and motor skills.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Hospitalized children often experience isolation, potentially impacting neurodevelopment.
- Understanding the effects of isolation on pediatric brain activity and behavior is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe cortical brain activity patterns during a gross dexterity task in isolated children.
- To develop a behavioral profile of children experiencing hospital isolation.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional assessment of four pediatric patients in hospital isolation.
- Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to image motor cortex activity during the Box and Blocks Test.
- Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) for emotional and social behavior quantification.
Main Results:
- All participants exhibited lower gross manual dexterity than normative values.
- Three out of four participants showed ipsilateral motor cortex dominance during the task.
- Three participants had clinically significant or at-risk behavioral scores on the BASC-3.
Conclusions:
- Combined clinical behavioral scores, reduced manual dexterity, and ipsilateral motor cortex dominance suggest neuroplasticity in isolated pediatric populations.
- Hospitalized isolation may induce neuroplastic changes affecting motor skills and behavior.
- Further research is needed to differentiate the impacts of isolation from medical treatments.
Abstract:
The main objective of this study was to describe the cortical patterns of brain activity during a gross dexterity task and develop a behavioral profile of children experiencing isolation. A cross-sectional assessment was conducted during one visit. Sample: Four pediatric patients who had undergone isolation within a hospital comprised the full data collection. During the collection, participants completed the Box and Blocks Test of gross manual dexterity while undergoing imaging of the motor cortex using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Participants also completed a Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) self-report, which was analyzed along with a parent report to quantify their emotional and social behaviors. All participants displayed lower gross dexterity levels than normative data. Furthermore, three out of the four participants displayed ipsilateral dominance of the motor cortex during the dexterity task. Three of the participants displayed behavioral measures reported within clinically significant or at-risk scores. Clinically significant behavioral scores coupled with lower than expected manual dexterity values and ipsilateral hemispheric dominance indicate that neuroplastic changes can occur in populations undergoing hospitalized isolation. While the impacts of the treatments and isolation in this case cannot be separated, further studies should be conducted to understand these impacts of isolation.
