Abstract
Sensory organisation of balance control is compromised in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). A randomised controlled trial involving 88 children with DCD was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a task-specific balance training (functional-movement training, FMT) programme in improving balance deficits in a DCD population. The DCD participants were randomly assigned to either a FMT group or a control group. The FMT group received two training sessions/ week for 3 months. Measurements of the participants’ sensory organisation (somatosensory, vestibular and visual ratios), balance and motor proficiency (Movement Assessment Battery for Children, MABC scores) and center of pressure sway velocity (Unilateral Stance Test, UST scores) were taken at baseline, immediately after FMT and 3 months after FMT. The FMT group showed greater improvements than the controls in somatosensory ratio at 3 and 6 months (all P < 0.001), but the within-group changes were not significant (P > 0.05). The results of both the MABC and the UST also indicated that the balance performance of the FMT group was significantly better than that of the control group at 3 and 6 months (all P < 0.05). Task-specific balance training was found to marginally improve the somatosensory function and somewhat improve the balance performance of children with DCD.
Highlights
IntroductionThe inputs supplied by three sensory systems (somatosensory, visual and vestibular) must be organised and the correct sensory signals selected to generate coordinated movements[6]
To maintain body balance, the inputs supplied by three sensory systems must be organised and the correct sensory signals selected to generate coordinated movements[6]
Of the 161 eligible children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), 55 were randomly assigned to a task-specific functional movement training (FMT) group, 53 to a no-training control group and 53 to a strengthening and balance exercise group
Summary
The inputs supplied by three sensory systems (somatosensory, visual and vestibular) must be organised and the correct sensory signals selected to generate coordinated movements[6]. The results of our previous study suggested that Taekwondo training can improve the use of visual and vestibular inputs to maintain body balance[11], but no effective strategy has yet been identified to improve the sensory re-weighting ability of children with DCD. ‘Task-oriented’ treatment is currently the most common method used to improve the motor skills and the balance performance of children with DCD12. This treatment strategy is based on the principles of motor learning and neuroplasticity[13]. No study to date has investigated the effectiveness of task-specific intervention in improving the sensory organisation of balance control, including sensory re-weighting ability, in the DCD population. We hypothesised that the members of the FMT group would exhibit greater improvements in sensory organisation and balance control during functional tasks than the control-group participants, whose members received no training
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