Assessment of neurogenic dysphagia using bulbar electromyography

Abstract

homogenous group, without any other childhood disorders. As a result, the reported pattern of brain activity may not be representative of those with motor deficits alone. Another potentially controversial issue relates to the nature of deficits in individuals with DCD. In previous reports of working memory deficits in those with DCD, the tasks involved a motor component, such as pointing to a computer screen. Thus, it is possible that the combination of motor activity and working memory demands of the tasks led to such deficits in the DCD group. The present study sheds some light on disentangling these deficits as their working memory tasks did not involve a motor component, yet the DCD cohort still exhibited deficits in performance compared with their typically developing peers. This pattern suggests that individuals with DCD have two dissociable weaknesses: one relating to motor skills and another that is involved with processing and retrieving information (working memory). It may be that these deficits are additive and have an impact on other skills, such as learning outcomes. Given the findings from the study that 11and 12-year-olds with DCD appear to show a selective impairment when retrieving, but not processing, spatial information in working memory, intervention could target how this group is able to allocate cognitive resources in an optimal and efficient manner. One way forward could be by directly training working memory, which has resulted in gains not only in working memory performance, but also in scores of IQ tests and learning outcomes.