Development of bilateral motor control in children with developmental coordination disorders

This research examined behavioral (i.e. movement time) and neuromuscular (EMG) characteristics of unilateral and bilateral aiming movements of children with normal motor development and children with developmental coordination disorders (DCD). Two age groups of children were studied: 6 to 7, and 9 to 10 year olds. Bilateral aiming movements involved moving the two hands to targets of either (1) the same amplitude--symmetrical bilateral movements, or (2) different amplitudes--asymmetrical bilateral movements. Unilateral aiming movements involved moving one hand to either near or far targets associated with that hand. In general, unilateral and bilateral movement times were slower in younger than older children, and in children with DCD than children with normal motor development. Our neuromuscular data suggest that the faster movement times that typically accompany increasing age in children may be the result of a change in the capacity to initiate antagonist muscle contractions. The prolonged burst of agonist activity and delayed onset of antagonist activity observed in children with DCD may contribute to their inability to produce fast, accurate unilateral movements. On both symmetrical and asymmetrical bilateral aiming movements, children with DCD had more performance errors and greater temporal inconsistencies between neuromuscular (EMG) parameters and behavioral (movement time) parameters than children with normal motor development. These new neuromuscular data suggest that there are important differences in the way the motor control systems of children with and without DCD organize bilateral aiming responses.