The Effects of a Group-based Gaze Training Intervention for Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

Manchester Metropolitan University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Developmental Coordination Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Technical Training; Behavioral: Quiet Eye Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02904980

15/NW/0279

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study was to integrate a gaze training intervention (i.e., quiet eye training; QET) that has been shown to improve the throwing and catching skill of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), within an approach (i.e., group therapy) that might alleviate the psychosocial influence of these motor skill deficits.

Full description

Children with DCD will be randomly split into either QET group or a technical training (TT). The TT group will be given movement-related instructions via video, relating to the throw and catch phases, while the QET group will also be taught to fixate a target location on the wall prior to the throw (QE1) and to track the ball prior to the catch (QE2). Each group will take part in a 4- week, group therapy intervention and measurements of QE duration obtained from a mobile eye tracking system and catching performance are to be taken before and after training, and at a 6-week delayed retention test. Parental feedback on psychosocial and motor skill outcomes will also be collected at delayed retention.

Enrollment: 23 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 11 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Prior diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder or suspected to have DCD
• Scores below the 5th percentile on the MABC-2 (Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2)
• Be of normal intelligence (assessed through parent/teacher feedback)
• No neurological disorder
• Normal of corrected-to-normal vision

Exclusion criteria

• Score over 5th Percentile on the MABC-2
• Suffers from a neurological disorder
• Below average intelligence
• Any visual impairment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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23 participants in 2 patient groups

Technical Training Group

Experimental group

Description:

15 children diagnosed with DCD

Treatment:

Behavioral: Technical Training

Quiet Eye Training Group

Experimental group

Description:

15 children diagnosed with DCD

Treatment:

Behavioral: Quiet Eye Training