The effect of perceptual-motor exercise on temporal dynamics of cognitive inhibition control in children with developmental coordination disorder

Abstract

BackgroundChildren with Developmental coordination disorders (DCD; or motor clumsiness) have poor executive function (especially inhibitory control) and idiopathic neural underpinnings deficit. Some studies have shown that motor-demanding physical exercise has positive effects on the executive function of these children. AimThe purpose of this study was to perform a temporal dynamics survey of EEG during inhibitory tasks by Event-Related Potential (ERP) before and after 21 sessions of perceptual-motor exercise. Methodsand Procedures: The samples comprised 24 boys aged 8 to 10 with DCD (mean age = 104.65, SD = 14.97 months). They were divided into experimental and control groups by matching motor proficiency scores. The experimental group was regularly trained in a series of 60-min sessions conducted three times a week (even days) for seven weeks. The participants completed both the ‘Go/No-go’ task and BOT-2 to assess inhibitory control and motor proficiency. Outcomes and resultsERP analyses suggested that occipital P1 latency, anterior NoGo-N2 latency, Infrequent-Go P3, and Infrequent-Go P3b latency were decreased significantly after perceptual-motor exercise intervention (p < 0.05) in the treatment group. Motor proficiency had significant positive changes in balance, bilateral coordination, upper limb coordination, response speed, visual-motor control, and dexterity of upper limbs (p < 0.05) in the treatment group. ConclusionsMedium-term perceptual-motor exercises may improve cognitive control of inhibition and motor proficiency in children with DCD, but the overall event-related potential pattern remained constant and it seemed related to the disorder's neural signature. Thus, the No-Go anterior N2 component reflects inhibition control improvement better than other ERP components.