Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 8, 2026
Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
Published on: February 25, 2016
Wii-training improved cardiac autonomic control of children with developmental coordination disorder: A randomized
Jorge Lopes Cavalcante Neto1, Eloisa Tudella2, Luiza Ribeiro Machado2
1Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Department of Human Sciences, Jacobina, Bahia, Brazil.
Insights
Wii-training significantly improved cardiac autonomic control in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Task-specific training did not yield similar cardiac benefits, suggesting virtual reality tools enhance autonomic function in DCD.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Cardiology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Previous research on children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) focused on motor skill outcomes of Wii-training versus task-specific training (TST).
- The impact of these interventions on cardiac outcomes in children with DCD remains unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the effects of Wii-training and TST on cardiac autonomic control in children diagnosed with DCD.
- To determine if virtual reality-based interventions offer unique benefits for autonomic regulation in this population.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-two children with DCD were randomized into either a Wii-training group or a TST group.
- Both groups underwent eight weeks of intervention, with two 42-minute sessions weekly.
- Cardiac autonomic control was assessed using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis, including spectral and nonlinear measures, in both supine and standing positions pre- and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- The Wii-training group demonstrated significant improvements in cardiac autonomic control, with notable reductions in sympathetic indices (LF, LF/HF, DFAα1, DFAα2) and increases in parasympathetic indices (HFnu) in the supine position.
- Postural changes (supine to standing) revealed significant increases in sympathetic modulation (∆LFnu, ∆LF/HF, ∆DFAα1, ∆DFAα2) and decreases in parasympathetic modulation (∆HFnu) in the Wii-training group.
- Task-specific training did not show significant improvements in cardiac autonomic control parameters.
Conclusions:
- Eight weeks of Wii-training is effective in enhancing cardiac autonomic control in children with DCD.
- Wii-training promotes beneficial adaptations in both sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation during postural changes.
- Findings suggest incorporating virtual reality-based interventions into therapy programs for children with DCD to address cardiac outcomes alongside motor skill development.
Background:
Randomized trials only compared the effects of Wii-training versus task specific training (TST) on motor skills outcomes in children with DCD. Effects on cardiac outcomes are not yet known.
Aims:
To compare the effects between Wii-training and TST on the cardiac autonomic control in children with DCD.
Methods And Procedures:
Thirty-two children with DCD were randomly assigned to Wii-training or TST. Both groups received two 42-minute sessions per week for eight weeks. All children had their RR intervals recorded in supine and standing postures pre-and post-intervention. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis was performed using spectral (LF, HF and LF/HF) and nonlinear analyses (Sample Entropy and DFA analyses, DFAα1 and DFAα2).
Results:
Wii-training group significantly (p < 0.01) decreased, in supine, the LFnu (d=1.03), LF/HF (d=0.61), DFAα1 (d=0.76) and DFAα2 (d=1.89) indices, while increased HFnu (d=1.01). Regarding delta changes from supine to standing posture, Wii-training group significantly (p < 0.01) increased ∆LFnu (d=1.55), ∆LF/HF (d=1.14), ∆DFAα1 (d=1.13) and ∆DFAα2 (d=0.76), and decreased ∆HFnu (d=1.53) compared to the baseline.
Conclusions And Implications:
Eight weeks of Wii-training was effective in improving cardiac autonomic control. Further studies should explore the mechanisms behind virtual reality principles to better understand the effects on cardiac autonomic control in DCD. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: This study shows that eight weeks of Wii-training improved cardiac autonomic control of children with DCD, while Task-specific training did not improve cardiac autonomic control of these children. Our results attested that Wii-training benefited the capacity to increase cardiac sympathetic and the parasympathetic modulation during standing in children with DCD. This information can be useful for therapists to include cardiac outcomes along with motor skills in the intervention programs for children with DCD, especially in those based on virtual reality tools.
