Rhythmic Interlimb Coordination in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Hasselt University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Developmental Coordination Disorder

Treatments: Other: interlimb coordination of the lower limbs and synchronization

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04891562

RIC-CHILD-001

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is a case-controlled observational study, involving children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and typically developing children with an age from 8 up to 12 years old. The study aims to investigate interlimb coordination of the lower limbs and sensorimotor synchronization ability in children with DCD compared to age-matched typically developing children during gait and fundamental lower limb coordination task to 2 metronomes with different temporal structures. The study consists of a maximum of 4 sessions (2 descriptive sessions, 2 experimental sessions), each lasting around 60 minutes. Depending on the preferences of the child and parents, the sessions can be combined in 2 sessions of 2 hours. During the first descriptive session, the participant will perform the m-ABC2 test to assess gross and fine motor function. The MBEMA-s will be used to examine rhythm perception ability. During the second descriptive session, children will perform the Kids BESTest to examine postural control, and two cognitive tests (digit span, go-no/go test) to assess executive functioning. During the third visit (experimental session), interlimb coordination and synchronization will be investigated during three tasks with different dynamic balance demands (seated, walking and running) in three conditions: in silence, to beats in isochronous metronome (discrete structure), to beats in non-isochronous metronomes (sinusoidal structure). In the last experimental session, the tempi of the auditory metronomes will be set at higher and lower tempi than the preferred comfortable tempo of the child.

Enrollment: 52 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• are aged between 8-12 years
• have no medical conditions that could impede their motor abilities.
• Children with a diagnosis of DCD, consistent with the DSM-V (Blank et al., 2019), or total percentile score <P16 on the movement assessment battery for children edition 2 (m-ABC-2), will be included in the group of (probably) DCD.
• The m-ABC score total of typical developing children needs to be ≥P25 for inclusion

Exclusion criteria

• have other neurological, orthopaedical, cardiorespiratory or intellectual impairment that could affect their motor abilities (verified using a health questionnaire)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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52 participants in 2 patient groups

pDCD (hildren with (probably) Developmental Coordination Disorder)

Experimental group

Description:

children with (probably) Developmental Coordination Disorder (pDCD)

Treatment:

Other: interlimb coordination of the lower limbs and synchronization

TDC (Typically Developing Children)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Typically Developing Children

Treatment:

Other: interlimb coordination of the lower limbs and synchronization