Dual-tasking Effect on Gait in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

University Ghent

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Gait

Treatments: Other: Motor dual-task; Other: Cognitive dual-task

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06400043

ONZ-2023-0650

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of the study is to collect data in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) aged between 7 and 17 years for analyses of the gait pattern while walking at the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL) at the university hospital of Ghent.

Children with DCD will be asked to take a motor test (M-ABC-2) as well as walk on the treadmill during a single session of approximately 3 hours.

The following data will be collected on the GRAIL while subjects walk at different gait speeds: 3D kinematics, kinetics, and EMG.

Additionally, 3D kinematics, kinetics, and EMG data will be collected when performing either a cognitive (Stroop Color and Word Test) or motor (requiring arm swing) dual-task while walking at comfortable walking speed..

Full description

The aim of the study is to collect data in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) aged between 7 and 17 years for analyses of the gait pattern while walking at the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL). This is a treadmill linked to a virtual environment used to analyse and train gait at the Children's Rehabilitation Centre of Ghent University Hospital. The data from children with DCD will be compared with typically developing children. In this study, only children with DCD will be included and the data resulting from this study will be compared to the data from the previous study in typically developing children (ID: B670201942108).

Children with DCD will be asked to take a motor test (M-ABC-2) as well as walk on the treadmill during a single session of approximately 3 hours. While walking at comfortable walking speed, two short games will be played i.e. dual-tasking. This involves both a cognitive (Stroop Colour-Word Test) and a motor (requires the use of the arms) dual task projected in the virtual environment of the GRAIL. The cognitive and motor task will be performed both while standing still (single tasking: ST) and while walking (dual tasking: DT). Simultaneously, kinetics, kinematics, and EMG data will be collected for 3D gait analysis. Using muscle synergy analysis (based on EMG data), the degree of gait automatization will be analysed. The data from children with DCD will be compared with typically developing children to determine whether a reduced gait automatization can be observed in children with DCD.

Parents will be asked to complete a screening list (CVO/DCD-Q) for motor problems in daily life. This aims as a support to the motor test (M-ABC-2), together providing additional insight into children's motor functioning (in daily life).

Enrollment: 23 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 17 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• They have an official DCD diagnosis;
• Are aged between 7 and 17 years old;
• Can walk at least 15 minutes consecutively;
• Have good or corrected vision.

Exclusion criteria

• They suffer from a neurological disorder;
• Take medications that affect gait and balance;
• Have undergone surgical procedures on the lower limbs in the past;
• Experience pain in their lower limbs or back at the time of testing.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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23 participants in 1 patient group

Treadmill walking

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be asked to walk at different gait velocities for 1 minute. The treadmill speed will be increased incrementally at 0.1m/s intervals until just before running. The comfortable walking speed will be determined.

Treatment:

Other: Cognitive dual-task

Other: Motor dual-task