Spatial accuracy and variability in dart throwing in children with developmental coordination cisorder and the relationship with ball skill items

The present study aimed to examine precision and variability in dart throwing performance and the relationships between these outcomes and bouncing, throwing and catching tasks in children with and without DCD. Children between the ages of 8 and 10 years (n = 165) were classified according to results obtained on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) and divided into three groups: 65 children with severe DCD (s-DCD), 45 with moderate DCD (m-DCD) and 55 typically developing children (TD). All children performed the dart throwing test and the ball skill items of the Performance and Fitness Test (PERF-FIT). The accuracy and variability of dart throwing tasks were significantly different between TD and s-DCD (p < 0.01), and also between m-DCD and s-DCD (p < 0.01). Participants with s-DCD were also found to perform significantly worse on all PERF-FIT ball skill items than m-DCD (p < 0.001), and m-DCD were significantly poorer than TD (p < 0.001). The dart score and coefficient of variation of the long-distance task appear to be significant predictors for the ball skills and explain between 24 to 29% of their variance. In conclusion, poor results in aiming tasks using darts in children with DCD corroborate with the explanation of deficits in predictive control since the tasks require ballistic movements

Listening to music and playing activities during recreation between lessons regenerate children’s pognitive performance at different times of day

The interruption of learning processes by breaks filled with diverse activities is common in everyday life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the time of day (TOD) of playing with or without music during recess on cognitive performance regeneration among students aged between 11 and 12. Twenty-seven volunteer children (aged 12 ± 0.6 years) completed four trials at 09h45, 10h15, 14h45, and 15h15. Each test session was separated by recreation between classroom lessons with different conditions: music only (MSC), playing only (PAY), music and playing (MSC-PAY), and without music and playing (NON). During each session, oral temperature, reaction time (RT), and constant attention (CA) were measured. For all parameters, the ANOVA revealed a significant effect of the type of activity. However, no significant effect of the TOD and no significant interaction of type of activity × TOD were reported. The Bonferroni post hoc test revealed that Δ-core temperature was significantly higher during PAY and MSC-PAY compared to NON (p < 0.05). Δ-attention was higher during MSC, PAY, and MSC-PAY compared to NON (p < 0.001). Δ-attention was lower during MSC (p < 0.05), PAY (p < 0.05), and MSC-PAY (p < 0.01) compared to NON. Therefore, playing, listening to music, and playing while listening to music at recess improve the child’s ability to regenerate cognitive performance regardless of the TO

Does acute aerobic exercise enhance selective attention, working memory, and problem-solving abilities in Alzheimer's patients? A sex-based comparative study

IntroductionThe present study aimed to evaluate the effect of acute aerobic exercise on certain cognitive functions known to be affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD), with a particular emphasis on sex differences.MethodsA total of 53 patients, with a mean age of 70.54 ± 0.88 years and moderate AD, voluntarily participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (EG), which participated in a 20-min moderate-intensity cycling session (60% of the individual maximum target heart rate recorded at the end of the 6-min walk test); and the control group (CG), which participated in a 20-min reading activity. Cognitive abilities were assessed before and after the physical exercise or reading session using the Stroop test for selective attention, the forward and backward digit span test for working memory, and the Tower of Hanoi task for problem-solving abilities.ResultsAt baseline, both groups had comparable cognitive performance (p &gt; 0.05 in all tests). Regardless of sex, aerobic acute exercise improved attention in the Stroop test (p &lt; 0.001), enhanced memory performance in both forward (p &lt; 0.001) and backward (p &lt; 0.001) conditions, and reduced the time required to solve the problem in the Tower of Hanoi task (p &lt; 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the number of movements. In contrast, the CG did not significantly improve after the reading session for any of the cognitive tasks (p &gt; 0.05). Consequently, the EG recorded greater performance improvements than the CG in most cognitive tasks tested (p &lt; 0.0001) after the intervention session.DiscussionThese findings demonstrate that, irrespective to sex, a single aerobic exercise session on an ergocycle can improve cognitive function in patients with moderate AD. The results suggest that acute aerobic exercise enhances cognitive function similarly in both female and male patients, indicating promising directions for inclusive therapeutic strategies

Nonparametric correlations of DCDDAILY-Q and CSAPPA with PERF-FIT scores.

Note correlations are expected to be negative between DCDDAILY-Q and PERF-FIT, and positive for CSAPPA and PERF-FIT.</p

Shows the distribution of the demographic data among TD, m-DCD, s-DCD groups.

Shows the distribution of the demographic data among TD, m-DCD, s-DCD groups.</p

Listening to Music and Playing Activities during Recreation between Lessons Regenerate Children’s Cognitive Performance at Different Times of Day

The interruption of learning processes by breaks filled with diverse activities is common in everyday life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the time of day (TOD) of playing with or without music during recess on cognitive performance regeneration among students aged between 11 and 12. Twenty-seven volunteer children (aged 12 ± 0.6 years) completed four trials at 09h45, 10h15, 14h45, and 15h15. Each test session was separated by recreation between classroom lessons with different conditions: music only (MSC), playing only (PAY), music and playing (MSC-PAY), and without music and playing (NON). During each session, oral temperature, reaction time (RT), and constant attention (CA) were measured. For all parameters, the ANOVA revealed a significant effect of the type of activity. However, no significant effect of the TOD and no significant interaction of type of activity × TOD were reported. The Bonferroni post hoc test revealed that Δ-core temperature was significantly higher during PAY and MSC-PAY compared to NON (p p p p p < 0.01) compared to NON. Therefore, playing, listening to music, and playing while listening to music at recess improve the child’s ability to regenerate cognitive performance regardless of the TOD

S1 Data -

BackgroundChildren with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are diagnosed based on poor motor skills that impact their daily activities. However, this may also lead to lower predilection and participation in physical activities and a higher risk to develop health problems.ObjectiveTo determine motor skill related levels in children with moderate and severe DCD and compare that to typically developing children (TD). The study also aimed to determine the level of activities of daily living (ADL) as reported by their parent and self-efficacy as reported by the children. Lastly, the relation of motor skill related fitness, ADL, and self-efficacy has been examined.MethodsA cross-sectional study has compared TD children (n = 105) and children with DCD (n = 109; 45 moderate DCD and 64 severe DCD) from elementary schools in Tunisia between 7 and 10 years of age. The DCDDaily-Questionnaire and Children’s Self-perceptions of Adequacy in and Predilection for Physical Activity Questionnaire have been used to determine ADL and adequacy towards physical activity, respectively. The PERF-FIT has been used to measure motor skill related fitness levels.ResultsLarge group differences (p = 0.001) were found for ADL and all domains of self-efficacy between TD and DCD children. However, ADL and self-efficacy were not different between moderate and severe DCD. Motor skill related fitness was significantly lower (p = 0.01) for children with DCD than TD children, and between children with moderate and severe DCD. The relation between self-efficacy and DCDDaily-Q was different in the two DCD groups. Slow motor learning was associated with lower perceived enjoyment in physical education in the moderate DCD group, and with lower perceived adequacy in physical education in the severe DCD group.ConclusionsChildren with DCD participate and enjoy physical activity less than their peers. This combination of lower participation, lower predilection to physical activity and lowered motor skill-related fitness is a concern for the present and future health status of children with DCD.</div

The total score of the DCD-Daily-Q for the 3 groups of children.

Mean score (SD). TD = Typically Developing, m-DCD = Moderate DCD, s-DCD = Severe DCD. For statistics see Table 3.</p

Statistics (Non-parametric ANCOVA) for the DCDDaily-Q and CSAPPA total and domain scores.

Statistics (Non-parametric ANCOVA) for the DCDDaily-Q and CSAPPA total and domain scores.</p

Non-parametric correlations between domain scores of DCDDaily-Q and CSAPPA per group.

Non-parametric correlations between domain scores of DCDDaily-Q and CSAPPA per group.</p