Postural control and movement performance during upper limb tasks in children with developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD)

At least 6% of primary school aged children present with DCD, where co-ordination is substantially below the normal range for the child’s age and intelligence. Motor skill difficulties negatively affect academic achievement, recreation and activities of daily living. Poor upper-limb co-ordination is a common difficulty for children with DCD. A possible cause of this problem is deviant muscle timing in proximal muscle groups, which results in poor postural and movement control. While studies have been published investigating postural control in response to external perturbations, detail about postural muscle activity during voluntary movement is limited even in children with normal motor development. No studies have investigated the relationship between muscle timing, resultant arm motion and upper-limb coordination deficits. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between functional difficulties with upper-limb motor skills and neuromuscular components of postural stability and coordination. Specifically, to investigate onset-timing of muscle activity, timing of arm movement, and resultant three-dimensional (3D) arm co-ordination during rapid, voluntary arm movement and to analyse differences arising due to the presence of DCD. This study is part of a larger research program investigating postural stability and control of upper limb movement in children. Design: A controlled, cross-sectional study of differences between children with and without DCD. Methods: This study included 50 children aged eight to 10 years (25 with DCD and 25 without DCD). Children participated in assessment of motor skills according to the Movement ABC Test and a laboratory study of rapid, voluntary arm movements. Parameters investigated included muscle activation timing of shoulder and trunk muscles (surface electromyography), arm movement timing (light sensor) and resultant 3D arm motion (Fastrak). Results: A MANOVA is being used to analyse between-group differences. Preliminary results indicate children with DCD demonstrate altered muscle timing during a rapid arm raise when compared with the control group of children. Conclusion: Differences in proximal muscle timing in children with DCD support the hypothesis that altered proximal muscle activity may contribute to poor proximal stability and consequently poor arm movement control. This has implications for clinical physiotherapy.

Réclamations pour le Sr Charles-Marie-Canalès-Oglou,... seul et unique héritier de feu Sr Jean-Marie-Alix de Boullon-Morange,... demandeur, contre dame Marie-Elisabeth-Emilie Aubourg, veuve du sieur Léonard Robin, décédé commissaire du gouvernement près le Tribunal civil... de la Seine, et membre du Tribunat, et encore contre le sieur Louis-Léonard Robin, se prétendant fils et unique héritier dudit sieur Léonard Robin... défendeurs, adressées à S. M. Napoléon-le-Grand,... / [Signé : Canalès-Oglou, 12 août 1806. - Consultation pour le sieur Canalès-Oglou contre les héritiers Robin. Signé : Adam, ancien avocat ; Bonhomme, avocat, 16 août 1806.]

[Factum. Boullon-Morange, Mehemet-Aly, dit Jean-Marie-Alix deSuccession). 1806?]

[Portrait du] duc Johann Albrecht [de Mecklenburg] qui fut le 1er régent de Brunswick [décédé le 16/2/20] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]

Référence bibliographique : Rol, 58113