Fast corticospinal system and motor performance in children: conduction proceeds skill

Abstract

Transcranial magnetic stimulation and motor performance tests were used to study the correlation between corticospinal maturation and actual motor performance in a group of young school children (n = 10, mean age = 7 years, age range = 6-9 years). The results were compared with normal adults (n = 10, mean age = 24 years, age range = 22-26 years). In children the central conduction time under the preinnervation condition of facilitation and the postexcitatory silent period was similar to that in adults. However, the central conduction time under relaxation, the latency jump (defined as the difference between the two preinnervation conditions), and the stimulus intensity were statistically different between children and adults ( P < 0.01-0.001). Children did not reach the same level of performance as adults in any of the motor performance tasks (simple acoustic reaction time, tapping, ballistic movement, tracking, and diadochokinesis) ( P < 0.05-0.01). The results indicate that at an early school age, children already possess mature fast corticospinal pathways able to access spinal motoneurons through the pyramidal tract. However, despite the partially adult-like level of neuronal maturation, young school children were not able to perform deliberate motor actions with the same proficiency as adults.