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Visuomotor tracking strategies in children: associations with neurodevelopmental symptoms
Max Thorsson1, Martyna A Galazka2,3, Mats Johnson2
1Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. max.thorsson@gu.se.
Insights
Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) show motor control issues. Higher symptom load impacts zigzag tracking and target overshooting, suggesting problems with inhibitory control and flexibility.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Control Research
Background:
- Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) frequently exhibit motor impairments affecting daily functioning.
- Understanding spatiotemporal control deficits is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms behind NDD-related motor challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between neurodevelopmental symptom load and motor control in children.
- To identify specific motor characteristics, such as spatiotemporal control, affected by NDDs.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-eight children with varying levels of neurodevelopmental symptoms performed a tablet-based interactive tracking task.
- Analysis focused on digit touch errors in relation to target movement, examining performance in zigzag and spiral tracking tasks.
Main Results:
- Increased neurodevelopmental symptom load correlated with poorer performance in tracking abrupt alternating (zigzag) directions and overshooting targets.
- Children without NDDs showed performance decrements characterized by lagging behind the target.
- Higher symptom load was linked to reduced flexibility in correcting lateral deviations during smooth (spiral) tracking.
Conclusions:
- Neurodevelopmental symptoms are associated with motor regulation difficulties, particularly in inhibitory control and flexibility.
- These motor control deficits, including issues with spatiotemporal processing, significantly impact children with NDDs.
Abstract:
Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) often display motor problems that may impact their daily lives. Studying specific motor characteristics related to spatiotemporal control may inform us about the mechanisms underlying their challenges. Fifty-eight children with varying neurodevelopmental symptoms load (median age: 5.6 years, range: 2.7-12.5 years) performed an interactive tablet-based tracking task. By investigating digit touch errors relative to the target's movement direction, we found that a load of neurodevelopmental symptoms was associated with reduced performance in the tracking of abrupt alternating directions (zigzag) and overshooting the target. In contrast, reduced performance in children without neurodevelopmental symptoms was associated with lagging behind the target. Neurodevelopmental symptom load was also associated with reduced flexibility in correcting for lateral deviations in smooth tracking (spiral). Our findings suggest that neurodevelopmental symptoms are associated with difficulties in motor regulation related to inhibitory control and reduced flexibility, impacting motor control in NDDs.
