Abstract
Background. On the assumption that motor actions result from the interaction between cognitive, perceptual, and neurological mechanisms, neuromotor dysfunction–such as in children with Down Syndrome (DS)–is expected to affect the central coordination processes required for dual-task (DT) performance. There are few dual-task (DT) studies in individuals with DS, so the current study examined the effects of dual-tasking (DT) on walking performance in children with DS. Method. In this study, a motor-cognitive DT was used in 12 children with DS (10.5 ± 1.08 years, 6 female), 12 typically developed (TD) children with the same mental age (TD-MA: 5.98 ± 1.21 years, 6 female), and 12 with the same chronological age (TD-CA: 10.5 ± 1.07 years, 6 female). Children were asked to enumerate animals for one minute while walking straight ahead. Results. All groups showed lower performances under the DT condition than the single-task (ST) condition. Children with DS appear to have the most difficulties in motor and cognitive tasks and ST- and DT-conditions. Concerning the DT costs (DTC), difficulties were mainly observed with the motor task, with motor DTC being greater than cognitive DTC. Conclusion. The interplay of different systems seems to play a crucial role in walking, especially in children with DS. DT walking paradigms with directional changes are recommended for future studies, as this is more appropriate for the everyday demands of children.
Highlights
Dual tasks (DT) are proposed as a valid approach to investigate the interaction between cognitive and motor domains in individuals with neuromotor disorders such as Down syndrome (DS) [1,2] or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) [3]
Their results suggest that locomotion is not characterized by automated processes in children between 5 and 10 years old, and age-related effects in performance under DT conditions are more evident in younger typically developed (TD) children
The present study examines the effects of a secondary verbal fluency task on walking performance in TD children (matched for mental age (MA) and chronological age (CA)) and children with Down Syndrome (DS)
Summary
Dual tasks (DT) are proposed as a valid approach to investigate the interaction between cognitive and motor domains in individuals with neuromotor disorders such as Down syndrome (DS) [1,2] or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) [3]. The authors showed a developmental trend in attentional resources needed to control locomotion Their results suggest that locomotion is not characterized by automated processes in children between 5 and 10 years old, and age-related effects in performance under DT conditions are more evident in younger TD children. On the assumption that motor actions result from the interaction between cognitive, perceptual, and neurological mechanisms, neuromotor dysfunction–such as in children with Down Syndrome (DS)–is expected to affect the central coordination processes required for dual-task (DT) performance. Children with DS appear to have the most difficulties in motor and cognitive tasks and ST- and DT-conditions
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