Can individuals with down syndrome improve their performance after practicing a game on a mobile phone?—A new insight study

Abstract

IntroductionDown syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder characterized by the presence of an extra chromosome, which is typically associated with motor and cognitive changes that interfere with the ability to perform daily activities. To enable gains in motor skills in individuals with DS, one option is to use new technologies such as mobile phone tasks in a virtual reality environment. ObjectiveTo explore whether a mobile phone game is a feasible tool to improve motor performance of upper limbs in individuals with DS. MethodThe game Marble Maze Classic® was used, in which the participants moved the mobile phone to guide a virtual marble through a maze design. We evaluated 100 individuals, 50 with DS and 50 individuals with typical development matched by gender and age. The participants were divided into two conditions: a ‘condition with an original maze’, with 25 individuals in the comparison group (typical development) and 25 in the experimental group (DS) and a ‘reverse condition’ with the same number of participants that used a maze design with an opposite path to the original as a counter-balance measure. The dependent variable used was time in seconds to finish the maze path. ANOVA was used in analysis of group differences. Post-hoc comparisons were performed using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference test (p < 0.05). ResultsThe comparison group improved during practice and maintained performance in the retention phase; they were able to transfer learning to different mazes. The DS group improved and retained motor performance, but transferred motor performance only in the original maze, not in the reverse condition. That is, the DS group failed to transfer learning as effectively as the comparison group. ConclusionPeople with DS managed to adapt to the task but underperformed compared to people with TD. Difficulty in maintaining performance with increased task difficulty was observed in the DS participants, highlighting the need to differentiate such tasks in improving performance.