Altered postural control strategies and sensory organization in children with developmental coordination disorder

Abstract

The postural control of children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD) was compared under conditions of reduced or conflicting sensory input. Twenty-two children with DCD (16 males, 6 females; mean age 7 years 6 months, SD 1 year 5 months) and 19 children with normal motor development were tested (13 males, 6 females; mean age 6 years 11 months, SD 1 year 1 month). Standing balance, sensory organization and motor control strategy were evaluated using the sensory organization test (SOT). The results revealed that children with DCD had lower composite equilibrium scores (p<.001), visual ratios (p=.005) and vestibular ratios (p=.002) than normal children in the control group. No significant between-group difference in their average somatosensory ratio was observed. Additionally, children with DCD had lower motor strategy scores (swayed more on their hips) than the normal children when forced to depend on vestibular cues alone to balance (p<.05). We conclude that children with DCD had deficits in standing balance control in conditions that included reduced or conflicting sensory signals. The visual and vestibular systems tended to be more involved in contributing to the balance deficits than the somatosensory system. Moreover, children with DCD tended to use hip strategy excessively when forced to rely primarily on vestibular signals to maintain postural stability.

Low Levels of Attentional Interference have Similar Effects on Static Balance Control of Typically Developing Children and Those with Symptoms of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

“…Thus, not only that attentional interference did not impact the DCD group more as compared to their peers, but also the overall differences between the groups were minimal. This finding supports previous studies showing that in relatively simple, unperturbed, quiet standing task the differences between these two groups are marginal, if any [22,23,40,41]. The fact that the performance across the conditions was comparable, aside from area of sway, may further indicate that static balance has minimal attentional demand.…”

Physical Literacy: Importance, Assessment and Future Directions

“…Hence the task is somewhat akin to a version of 'Human Tetris'. Sensory organisation and postural stability will be assessed via composite performance measures [36] Time taken to achieve shape. Accuracy of movement.…”

The differences of movement between children at risk of developmental coordination disorder and those not at risk

“…It is rather complicated to compare these findings with other studies, because the majority of other studies are focused on static tasks and differences are measured at the level of skeletal muscles by electromyography (Fong, Tsang, & Ng, 2012;Geuze, 2005). There is a possibility to find several studies where leg movements (Deconinck et al, 2006a;Missiuna et al, 2003;Wilson & MacKenzie, 1998) confirmed the differences in children under various visual conditions while walking, but these studies focused mainly on TD children and the differences were observed mainly from a biomechanical point of view (gait cycle) (Parker & Larkin, 2003;Woodruff, Bothwell-Myers, Tingley, & Albert, 2002).…”