Motor learning: an analysis of 100 trials of a ski slalom game in children with and without developmental coordination disorder

Objective Although Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is often characterized as a skill acquisition deficit disorder, few studies have addressed the process of motor learning. This study examined learning of a novel motor task; the Wii Fit ski slalom game. The main objectives were to determine: 1) whether learning occurs over 100 trial runs of the game, 2) if the learning curve is different between children with and without DCD, 3) if learning is different in an easier or harder version of the task, 4) if learning transfers to other balance tasks. Method 17 children with DCD (6-10 years) and a matched control group of 17 typically developing (TD) children engaged in 20 minutes of gaming, twice a week for five weeks. Each training session comprised of alternating trial runs, with five runs at an easy level and five runs at a difficult level. Wii scores, which combine speed and accuracy per run, were recorded. Standardized balance tasks were used to measure transfer. RESULTS: Significant differences in initial performance were found between groups on the Wii score and balance tasks. Both groups improved their Wii score over the five weeks. Improvement in the easy and in the hard task did not differ between groups. Retention in the time between training sessions was not different between TD and DCD groups either. The DCD group improved significantly on all balance tasks. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study give a fairly coherent picture of the learning process over a medium time scale (5 weeks) in children novice to active computer games; they learn, retain and there is evidence of transfer to other balance tasks. The rate of motor learning is similar for those with and without DCD. Our results raise a number of questions about motor learning that need to be addressed in future research

Symptoms of anxiety and depression in children with developmental coordination disorder:a systematic review

Objective To find evidence of the symptoms of anxiety/depression in children with developmental coordination disorder as compared to their typically developing peers at both the group and individual level, and to identify how many different tools are used to measure anxiety and/or depression. Methods Electronic searches in eight databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, PsycINFO, Embase, SciELO and LILACS), using the following keywords: ‘Developmental Coordination Disorder,’ ‘Behavioral Problems,’ ‘Child,’ ‘Anxiety,’ ‘Depression,’ ‘Mental Health,’ and ‘Mental Disorders.’ The methodological quality was assessed by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies and the NOS for cohort studies. The studies were classified as low, moderate, or high quality. To provide clinical evidence, the effect size of the symptoms of anxiety and depression was calculated for each study. Results The initial database searches identified 581 studies, and after the eligibility criteria were applied, six studies were included in the review. All studies were classified as being of moderate to high quality, and the effect sizes for both anxiety and depression outcomes were medium. The evidence indicated that all of the assessed studies presented more symptoms of anxiety and depression in children with developmental coordination disorder than in their typically developing peers. On the individual level, this review found children with clinical symptoms of anxiety in 17–34% (developmental coordination disorder) and 0–23% (typically developing), and of depression in 9–15% (developmental coordination disorder) and 2–5% (typically developing) of the children. Conclusions Children with developmental coordination disorder are at higher risk of developing symptoms of anxiety and depression than their typically developing peers

Dynamic control of balance in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Kinderen met motorische ontwikkelingsproblemen, ook wel DCD genoemd, hebben vaak balansproblemen. Ons onderzoek heeft zich gericht op de dynamische balanscontrole die nodig is tijdens het spelen van een computerspel waarbij kinderen het spel konden sturen door hun lichaamsgewicht te verplaatsen. We onderzochten kinderen met een motorische ontwikkelingsachterstand en balansproblemen en kinderen met een normale motorische ontwikkeling op i) verschillen in dynamische balanscontrole benodigd voor het spelen van het computerspel , ii) verschillen in het aanleren van de benodigde dynamische balanscontrole en iii) of er sprake was van overdracht van wat geleerd was tijdens het spelen van het computerspel naar niet getrainde balansvaardigheden in het dagelijks leven. De kinderen met balansproblemen bleken minder succesvol in het spel. Ze verplaatsten hun lichaamsgewicht aanvankelijk minder ver en bewogen minder behendig in hun poging om te scoren. Deze verschillen werden eveneens gevonden bij kinderen in Zuid Afrika, hetgeen bevestigde dat het coördinatie probleem onafhankelijk is van cultuur of eerder opgedane ervaringen met computerspelen. Het goede nieuws is dat deze kinderen over een langere periode even snel balansvaardigheden aanleren als hun leeftijdsgenoten. Bovendien behielden ze het niveau van controle van het spel na een periode zonder oefening en lieten ze na training ook verbetering zien in dagelijkse vaardigheden, zoals hinkelen, springen en slalom rennen, zowel in de Nederlandse als in de Zuid Afrikaanse studie. Een motorisch trainingsprotocol in de vorm van een actief computerspel met elementen van feedback, anticiperen en reageren heeft dus een positieve invloed op balansvaardigheden van kinderen met een motorische ontwikkelingsachterstand

Learning better by repetition or variation? Is transfer at odds with task specific training?

OBJECTIVE:Transfer of motor skills is the ultimate goal of motor training in rehabilitation practice. In children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), very little is known about how skills are transferred from training situations to real life contexts. In this study we examined the influence of two types of practice on transfer of motor skills acquired in a virtual reality (VR) environment. METHOD:One hundred and eleven children with DCD and their typically developing (TD) peers, aged 6-10 years (M = 8.0 SD = 1.0) were randomly assigned to either variable (n = 56) or repetitive practice (n = 55). Participants in the repetitive practice played the same exergame (ski slalom) twice weekly for 20 minutes, over a period of 5 weeks, while those in the variable group played 10 different games. Motor skills such as balance tasks (hopping), running and agility tasks, ball skills and functional activities were evaluated before and after 5 weeks of training. RESULTS:ANOVA repeated measures indicated that both DCD and TD children demonstrated transfer effects to real life skills with identical and non-identical elements at exactly the same rate, irrespective of the type of practice they were assigned to. CONCLUSION:Based on these findings, we conclude that motor skills acquired in the VR environment, transfers to real world contexts in similar proportions for both TD and DCD children. The type of practice adopted does not seem to influence children's ability to transfer skills acquired in an exergame to life situations but the number of identical elements does

Type of active video-games training does not impact the effect on balance and agility in children with and without developmental coordination disorder:A randomized comparator-controlled trial

AimTo compare the effect of the Nintendo Wii-Fit and Xbox Kinect on motor performance and to assess differential effects in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and typical development (TD).MethodIn an assessor-blinded randomized comparator-controlled design, 68 participants (34 DCD and 34 TD) aged 7–10 years, were randomly assigned to train on one of two devices (34 Wii-Fit; 34 Xbox Kinect).ResultsRepeated measure ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of time on balance and agility variables (MABC-2, Wii Yoga stance, PERF-FIT side-hop, PERF-FIT ladder-stepping; all p ≤ 0.02), but not on running variables (BOT2-sprint, 10 × 5 m sprint and PERF-FIT ladder running; p > 0.05). No significant interactions were observed, indicating similar changes on both devices. Overall, 35% of the TD children and 76% of the children with DCD improved on one or more of the outcomes beyond the smallest detectable difference. However, at the individual level, larger differences in improvement were found in the Kinect group compared to the Wii between TD and DCD groups.ConclusionBoth Wii-Fit and Kinect devices can be used to train with similar results on motor performance. An important percentage (76%) of children with DCD improved on at least one motor task after training

Learning better by repetition or variation? Is transfer at odds with task specific training?

<div><p>Objective</p><p>Transfer of motor skills is the ultimate goal of motor training in rehabilitation practice. In children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), very little is known about how skills are transferred from training situations to real life contexts. In this study we examined the influence of two types of practice on transfer of motor skills acquired in a virtual reality (VR) environment.</p><p>Method</p><p>One hundred and eleven children with DCD and their typically developing (TD) peers, aged 6–10 years (M = 8.0 SD = 1.0) were randomly assigned to either variable (n = 56) or repetitive practice (n = 55). Participants in the repetitive practice played the same exergame (ski slalom) twice weekly for 20 minutes, over a period of 5 weeks, while those in the variable group played 10 different games. Motor skills such as balance tasks (hopping), running and agility tasks, ball skills and functional activities were evaluated before and after 5 weeks of training.</p><p>Results</p><p>ANOVA repeated measures indicated that both DCD and TD children demonstrated transfer effects to real life skills with identical and non-identical elements at exactly the same rate, irrespective of the type of practice they were assigned to.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>Based on these findings, we conclude that motor skills acquired in the VR environment, transfers to real world contexts in similar proportions for both TD and DCD children. The type of practice adopted does not seem to influence children’s ability to transfer skills acquired in an exergame to life situations but the number of identical elements does.</p></div

Depicting MABC TSS scores pre and post training for participant groups and protocol.

<p>Depicting MABC TSS scores pre and post training for participant groups and protocol.</p