Fine Motor Behavior Research Articles

Impaired motor and social skill development in infancy predict high autistic traits in toddlerhood

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Early diagnosis in the critical period is important for ASD children. Recent studies of neurodevelopmental behavioral features and joint attention in high-risk infants showed there are some special cues which can distinguish ASD from typical development infant. But the findings of high-risk population may not be applicable to the general population. It is necessary to “analogically” study the potential warning traits of ASD in infancy in the general population. We did a nested case-control study from June 2019 to November 2022 in Tianjin, China, including 76 general infants whom completed the neurodevelopmental evaluation, the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-23 (CHAT-23) screening, and eye tracking task. Social behavior quotient in infancy was negatively correlated to CHAT-23 total scores in toddlerhood. Social behavior quotient in infancy was positively correlated to initiating joint attention in toddlerhood. Regression model showed that high fine motor scale and social behaviour scale quotient in infancy were associated with an decreased risk of the total score of CHAT-23 ≥ 2 in toddlerhood. The Receiver operating characteristic curve showed the social behaviour in infancy alone and the combination of fine motor and social behaviour in infancy contributed to auxiliary diagnosis of higher level of autistic traits in toddlerhood. These findings suggest that Impaired development of fine motor and social behavior in infancy are potential warning features of high autistic traits in general population.

An exploratory characterization of speech- and fine-motor coordination in verbal children with Autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder often associated with difficulties in speech production and fine-motor tasks. Thus, there is a need to develop objective measures to assess and understand speech production and other fine-motor challenges in individuals with ASD. In addition, recent research suggests that difficulties with speech production and fine-motor tasks may contribute to language difficulties in ASD. In this paper, we explore the utility of an off-body recording platform, from which we administer a speech- and fine-motor protocol to verbal children with ASD and neurotypical controls. We utilize a correlation-based analysis technique to develop proxy measures of motor coordination from signals derived from recordings of speech- and fine-motor behaviors. Eigenvalues of the resulting correlation matrix are inputs to Gaussian Mixture Models to discriminate between highly-verbal children with ASD and neurotypical controls. These eigenvalues also characterize the complexity (underlying dimensionality) of representative signals of speech- and fine-motor movement dynamics, and form the feature basis to estimate scores on an expressive vocabulary measure. Based on a pilot dataset (15 ASD and 15 controls), features derived from an oral story reading task are used in discriminating between the two groups with AUCs > 0.80, and highlight lower complexity of coordination in children with ASD. Features derived from handwriting and maze tracing tasks led to AUCs of 0.86 and 0.91, however features derived from ocular tasks did not aid in discrimination between the ASD and neurotypical groups. In addition, features derived from free speech and sustained vowel tasks are strongly correlated with expressive vocabulary scores. These results indicate the promise of a correlation-based analysis in elucidating motor differences between individuals with ASD and neurotypical controls.

Psychomotor Slowing in Psychosis and Inhibitory Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Psychomotor slowing is a frequent symptom of psychosis, impairing gross and fine motor behavior. It is associated with poor outcomes and functioning, and no treatment is available. To investigate whether 15 sessions of inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may reduce psychomotor slowing. This was a 4-arm, double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial at a university hospital in Switzerland. Enrollment took place from March 2019 to August 2022. Adults aged 18 to 60 years with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and severe psychomotor slowing were eligible. All patients continued existing medications, including antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. Those with substance misuse (other than nicotine), conditions associated with impaired or aberrant movement, convulsions, history of hearing problems, other conditions typically excluded from magnetic resonance imaging or TMS, any TMS treatment in the past 3 months, or those who were pregnant or breastfeeding were excluded. Of 615 patients screened for eligibility, 103 were randomized and 88 received at least 1 session of rTMS: 22 were assigned to 1-Hz rTMS, 22 to iTBS, 22 to sham, and 22 to the waiting group. Follow-up was conducted at 6 weeks and 24 weeks following the week 3 assessments including clinical, functional, and motor measures. Fifteen sessions of rTMS in 3 weeks over the supplementary motor area: 1-Hz rTMS, iTBS, sham, or no treatment (waiting). After 3 weeks, the waiting group received 15 sessions of 1-Hz rTMS over the supplementary motor area. The main outcome was the proportion of responders at week 3 in the Salpêtrière Retardation Rating Scale (SRRS) defined as a 30% or greater reduction from baseline (last-observation-carried-forward). The SRRS has 15 items and a maximum total score of 60. Of the 88 participants analyzed, 45 were men and 43 were women. The mean (SD) age was 36.3 (12.4) years and the mean (SD) SRRS score was 24.0 (5.9). A total of 69 participants completed the study. At week 3, response rates differed between groups: 15 of 22 (68%) in the 1-Hz rTMS group, 8 of 22 (36%) in the iTBS group, 7 of 22 (32%) in the sham group, and 4 of 22 (18%) in the waiting group (χ23 = 12.1; P = .007). The 1-Hz rTMS group had more responders than sham (odds ratio [OR], 0.13; 95% CI, 0.02-0.65; P = .03), iTBS (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.02-0.61; P = .02), and waiting (OR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01-0.22; P = .003). In the waiting group, 10 of 16 participants (63%) responded after receiving 15 sessions of 1-Hz rTMS. No serious adverse events occurred. In this study, inhibitory add-on rTMS safely alleviated psychomotor slowing in psychosis compared with iTBS, sham, and no treatment. The treatment was also effective with delayed onset. Future studies need to explore the neural changes associated with supplementary motor area rTMS in psychosis. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03921450.

Postural adaptation to microgravity underlies fine motor impairment in astronauts’ speech

Understanding the role of anti-gravity behaviour in fine motor control is crucial to achieving a unified theory of motor control. We compare speech from astronauts before and immediately after microgravity exposure to evaluate the role of anti-gravity posture during fine motor skills. Here we show a generalized lowering of vowel space after space travel, which suggests a generalized postural shift of the articulators. Biomechanical modelling of gravitational effects on the vocal tract supports this analysis—the jaw and tongue are pulled down in 1g, but movement trajectories of the tongue are otherwise unaffected. These results demonstrate the role of anti-gravity posture in fine motor behaviour and provide a basis for the unification of motor control models across domains.

Psychometric properties of the Infant Motor Profile (IMP): A scoping review protocol.

The IMP is a novel video-based instrument to assess motor behavior of infants. It evaluates gross and fine motor behavior in five domains: variation, adaptability, symmetry, fluency, and performance. The latter assesses motor milestones, the other four domains assess qualitative aspects of movements. Literature suggests that it is a promising tool for pediatric health care, as its assists early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders and facilitates the design and monitoring of early intervention. This, this scoping review (ScR) aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Infant Motor Profile (IMP). A systematic search will be conducted to identify relevant studies up to October 15, 2022. All papers published in English that evaluated or used the IMP in children under two years of age will be included. The search will be performed in Pubmed, Lilacs, PEDro, Scielo, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Ovid PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, as well as in gray literature sources following the University of Toronto library guidelines. Standardized data extraction forms (Excel Tables) will be used to collect information. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for the Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist and JBI guidelines will be taken into consideration for results analysis and reporting. This Scoping Review will summarize available knowledge on the psychometric properties of the IMP. By proving that IMP is a reliable tool, a valid predictor of neurodevelopmental outcomes and a responsive instrument to measure change induced by early intervention, this will facilitate the implementation of the IMP in pediatric health care. It will assist the detection of infants at high risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, and it will facilitate the design of the tailor-made early intervention. This scoping review protocol has been registered at Open Science Framework (OSF) (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4HYKZ).

P.26 Motor and cognitive manifestations of young female carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): a prospective natural history study

Clinical manifestations of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have been well documented. However, less is known about the impact of DMD gene mutations for young female carriers. This cross-sectional study seeks to address the gap in understanding of the impact of carrier status on motor skill and cognitive functioning during formative years of development. We examined the motor abilities and neuropsychological functioning of genetically confirmed female DMD carriers in childhood and adolescence. Age appropriate functional and motor outcome assessments were administered including the Neuromuscular Gross Motor Outcome (GRO), 100-meter timed test (100m), Performance of Upper Limb (PUL), and others. Additionally, we assessed intelligence, executive functioning, visual motor integration, behavioral functioning and emotional regulation using standardized testing. To date, 8 subjects have been enrolled, average 11.7 years of age (range: 5–17 years) through the Nationwide Children's Hospital clinics. Gross motor performance was variable across the full cohort ranging between 71–100% of total score on the GRO, 10-95% of average predicted performance on the 100m, and 85-100% of total score on the PUL. Fine motor behavior and visual-motor integration tests indicate this cohort may experience a higher rate of motor coordination deficit and fine motor slowing, as evidenced by performance on norm-referenced assessments including the Grooved Pegboard Test (z-scores range: -0.75 to -5.61; N=7) and Beery Visual Motor Integration Scale (percentiles range: 0.7 – 63; N=7). Individual and group performance on motor outcome assessments and cognitive performance in areas related to attention, organization, working memory, arithmetic/mathematics, and verbal fluency to be presented. Subject enrollment, data collection, and analysis is ongoing.

Evaluation of Rhesus Macaque Models for Cerebral Palsy.

Simple SummaryCerebral palsy (CP) is caused by a non-progressive injury that affects the central nervous system during early development. According to the World Health Organization, CP occurs in approximately 2–4 of 1000 newborns. Animal models, especially non-human primate models, have greatly assisted our understanding of CP, and have provided simulative objects for treatment. In this study, the rhesus macaque CP models were established by partial resection of the motor cortex and the intrathecal injection of bilirubin. We evaluated abnormal posture, motor dysfunction, gross and fine motor behavior, muscular tension of rhesus macaque CP models, and changes in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia, the last of which were observed using magnetic resonance imaging. This model evaluation methodology may guide researchers through the model building process. The findings serve as a reference for establishing and assessing non-human primate CP models.Animal models play a central role in all areas of biomedical research. The similarities in anatomical structure and physiological characteristics shared by non-human primates (NHPs) and humans make NHPs ideal models with which to study human disorders, such as cerebral palsy (CP). However, the methodologies for systematically evaluating NHP models of CP have rarely been assessed, despite the long history of using NHP models to understand CP. Such models should be evaluated using multidisciplinary approaches prior to being used to research the diagnosis and treatment of CP. In this study, we evaluated rhesus macaque CP models established by partial resection of the motor cortex and intrathecal injection of bilirubin. Abnormal posture, motor dysfunction, gross and fine motor behavior, and muscular tension were evaluated, and changes in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia were observed using 9.4 T magnetic resonance imaging. The results clearly demonstrated the utility of the established evaluation methodology for assessing CP models. This model evaluation methodology may guide researchers through the model building process.

Handedness in ADHD: Meta-Analyses.

Meta-analyses have shown that several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, are associated with a higher prevalence of atypical (left-, non-right-, or mixed-) handedness. One neurodevelopmental disorder for which this association is unclear is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here, some empirical studies have found evidence for a higher prevalence of atypical handedness in individuals with ADHD compared to neurotypical individuals. However, other studies failed to establish such an association. Therefore, meta-analytic integration is critical to estimate whether or not there is an association between handedness and ADHD. We report the results of three meta-analyses (left-, mixed-, and non-right-handedness) comparing handedness in individuals with ADHD to controls (typically developing individuals). The results show evidence of a trend towards elevated levels of atypical handedness when it comes to differences in left- and mixed-handedness (p = 0.09 and p = 0.07, respectively), but do show clear evidence of elevated levels of non-right-handedness between individuals with ADHD and controls (p = 0.02). These findings are discussed in the context of the hypothesis that ADHD is a disorder in which mostly right-hemispheric brain networks are affected. Since right-handedness represents a dominance of the left motor cortex for fine motor behavior, such as writing, as well as a left-hemispheric dominance for language functions, and about 90% of individuals are right-handers, this hypothesis might explain why there is not stronger evidence for an association of left-handedness with ADHD. We suggest that the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of ADHD might show an overlap with the mechanisms involved in handedness strength, but not handedness direction.

Falls and motor behavior in older adults

This mini-review focuses on intrinsic risk factors for falls, particularly the changes in motor behavior of faller older adults. Our purpose is to present evidence that faller older adults exhibit motor behavior changes beyond the typically investigated standing and walking tasks. We showed initially that postural control alterations with more prominent differences for fallers than non-fallers seem to depend on postural demands, availability of sensory information, and tasks performed concomitantly with the balancing task. We also provided evidence that walking speed is the most consistent aspect to differentiate fallers from non-fallers. This reduction in walking speed may be a strategy to improve gait stability to avoid a fall. More recent studies have shown that fallers presented modifications in the control of the prehension movement. These changes suggest that fallers have changes in movement categories other than balancing and walking, suggesting that fallers’ difficulties are broader than previously thought. The fact that faller older adults have modifications in the control of upper and lower limbs is indicative of a change in motor behavior involving gross and fine motor behaviors. The understanding of a faller as an individual with global changes in motor behavior has important implications for fall prevention and rehabilitation programs for these individuals.

A novel rodent accelerometer device for measuring locomotor activity and other movements

Locomotor activity is a simple, yet useful measure of drug-induced changes in rodent behavior. Current methods for assessing activity often fail to capture more complex behavioral topographies, such as stereotypy, require measuring movement in novel environments, and/or require invasive surgeries. Here, we describe a novel device that wirelessly transmits fine motor behaviors at high frequencies. An accelerometer (Biosense, Palo Alto, CA) encased in a plastic covering (2 cm × 1 cm × 0.5 cm) is adhered to the skin between the scapula of a rodent. The device records changes in acceleration (m/s2) and converts it to frequency (Hz) using a Fourier transform. Data is collected about 50,000 times per 10 minutes and is sent to a computer via WiFi. Once new data is uploaded to the cloud (Google Cloud), a system processes the raw accelerometer values and quantifies certain types of activity using proprietary Python code. The processed data is accessible via an online web portal. To compare this novel approach with established methods, male Sprague Dawley rats were habituated to a novel acrylic cage (14” × 14” × 8”) for 90 minutes then were treated with amphetamine (0, 0.32, 1.0, 3.2 mg/kg subcutaneous, n=8 per dose). Locomotor activity was recorded using infrared beam breaks (Columbus Instruments, Columbus, OH) and the accelerometers simultaneously in the same rats. Amphetamine dose-dependently increased locomotor activity in both measures for approximately 2.5 hours, with the magnitude and duration of the effect being closely correlated between the two measures. Further, only the accelerometers were able to identify and quantify stereotyped movements and other behaviors, such as walking, running, or wet-dog shakes. In addition to locomotor activity, the devices were able to detect pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion related movements (56 mg/kg subcutaneous, n=6) and increased activity during the dark cycle as compared with light cycle in the home cage (n=8). This novel method for recording rodent activity will be a useful approach for capturing and quantifying complex drug-induced behaviors as well as changes in circadian behavior in known and novel environments.

Influence of postnatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure on the neurodevelopment of toddlers at the age of 12 months

ObjectivesTo investigate the possible influence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure on neurodevelopment of toddlers at the age of 12 months. MethodsTotally 306 subjects were recruited from the Qingdao Birth Cohort established in 2014. PAH-DNA adducts in toddlers’ umbilical cord blood samples, hydroxyl-PAH metabolites in their urine samples and the developmental quotients (DQs) were measured. Sex, gestational age, birth weight, and maternal educational background were adjusted to analyze the influence of the PAH exposure on the neurodevelopment of the toddlers using multivariate linear regression model. ResultsPearson correlation test showed that the logarithmic values of hydroxyl-PAH were negatively correlated with the DQs. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that logarithmic concentration of 1(9)- hydroxyphenanthrene was still associated with the DQs of the fine motor behaviors with β and 95% confidential interval (CI) of -1.137 (-2.053, -0.222), together with PAH-DNA adducts [β (95% CI): -0.577 (-0.930, -0.225)]. PAH-DNA adducts presented an independently negative influence on the DQs of the gross motor and personal social behaviors with β (95%CI) of -0.470 (-0.814, -0.126) and -0.526 (-0.859, -0.193), respectively. ConclusionsThe exposure to PAHs in toddlers at 12 months could influence their neurodevelopment. Additionally, prenatal exposure to PAHs should also be considered.

INTERGROWTH-21st Project international INTER-NDA standards for child development at 2 years of age: an international prospective population-based study.

ObjectivesTo describe the construction of the international INTERGROWTH-21st Neurodevelopment Assessment (INTER-NDA) standards for child development at 2 years by reporting the cognitive, language, motor and behaviour outcomes in optimally healthy and nourished children in the INTERGROWTH-21st Project.DesignPopulation-based cohort study, the INTERGROWTH-21st Project.SettingBrazil, India, Italy, Kenya and the UK.Participants1181 children prospectively recruited from early fetal life according to the prescriptive WHO approach, and confirmed to be at low risk of adverse perinatal and postnatal outcomes.Primary measuresScaled INTER-NDA domain scores for cognition, language, fine and gross motor skills and behaviour; vision outcomes measured on the Cardiff tests; attentional problems and emotional reactivity measured on the respective subscales of the preschool Child Behaviour Checklist; and the age of acquisition of the WHO gross motor milestones.ResultsScaled INTER-NDA domain scores are presented as centiles, which were constructed according to the prescriptive WHO approach and excluded children born preterm and those with significant postnatal/neurological morbidity. For all domains, except negative behaviour, higher scores reflect better outcomes and the threshold for normality was defined as ≥10th centile. For the INTER-NDA’s cognitive, fine motor, gross motor, language and positive behaviour domains these are ≥38.5, ≥25.7, ≥51.7, ≥17.8 and ≥51.4, respectively. The threshold for normality for the INTER-NDA’s negative behaviour domain is ≤50.0, that is, ≤90th centile. At 22–30 months of age, the cohort overlapped with the WHO motor milestone centiles, showed low postnatal morbidity (<10%), and vision outcomes, attentional problems and emotional reactivity scores within the respective normative ranges.ConclusionsFrom this large, healthy and well-nourished, international cohort, we have constructed, using the WHO prescriptive methodology, international INTER-NDA standards for child development at 2 years of age. Standards, rather than references, are recommended for population-level screening and the identification of children at risk of adverse outcomes.

Impact of maternal hypertensive disorders on offspring's neurodevelopment: a longitudinal prospective cohort study in China.

Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are the major causes of maternal mortality. However, the association between HDP and offspring's neurodevelopment remains unclear. Participants were 4031 singleton live births from a prospective cohort study in Wuhan, China, during October 2013 to October 2014. Neurodevelopment of infant was evaluated by using Chinese version of Gesell Developmental Schedules at 0.5 year of age. Maternal HDP and potential confounders were ascertained by healthcare records at baseline. Generalized linear model analysis indicated that maternal chronic hypertension were significantly associated with development quotient on fine motor (β = -3.32, 95% CI: -6.33 to -0.31), adaptability (β = -2.87, 95% CI: -5.31 to -0.43), language (β = -1.23, 95% CI: -2.12 to -0.34) and social behavior (β = -2.53, 95% CI: -4.69 to -0.37), and gestational hypertension was significantly associated with development quotient on social behavior (β = -1.42, 95% CI: -2.03 to -0.81), even after adjustment of major confounders. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that maternal chronic hypertension also increased the risk of diagnosis of "neurodevelopmental delay" on fine motor (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.19-2.89), adaptability (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.42-3.78), language (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.74-4.70), and social behavior (OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.73-2.59). This study suggests that exposure to HDP is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopment impairment in the offspring at the age of 0.5 year.

The Effects of dual task (fine motor precision + cognitive charge) on proprioception

The aim of the given preliminary study was to check whether any changes in fi ne motor behaviour exist in switching from single to double task (with cognition charge) in proprioceptive sensory graphomotor test conditions. Ten students (fi ve males and fi ve females), aged from 20 to 30 years old, took part in the experiment - precision of tracking of the models in both experimental test conditions: without and with cognitive task (counting numbers back). The variables for assessment were obtained with use of the digitalized proprioceptive diagnostics (Tous, 2008; Tous, J.M., Muiños, Tous, O., &amp; Tous J, 2012) of Mira y Lopez laboratory (University of Barcelona) that transformed the measurements of drawn lines on a touch screen from pixels into millimetres. As results showed, in the proprioceptive test condition, the changes in deviations related to spatial (lineograms) or line length variability (parallels) did not reach any statistical signifi cance; while the changes in line length performance (lineograms) were found signifi cant (that corresponds to inhibition- -excitatory balance of nervous system).

Boom Chack Boom-A multimethod investigation of motor inhibition in professional drummers.

IntroductionOur hands are the primary means for motor interaction with the environment, and their neural organization is fundamentally asymmetric: While most individuals can perform easy motor tasks with two hands equally well, only very few individuals can perform complex fine motor tasks with both hands at a similar level of performance. The reason why this phenomenon is so rare is not well understood. Professional drummers represent a unique population to study it, as they have remarkable abilities to perform complex motor tasks with their two limbs independently.MethodsHere, we used a multimethod neuroimaging approach to investigate the structural, functional, and biochemical correlates of fine motor behavior in professional drummers (n = 20) and nonmusical controls (n = 24).ResultsOur results show that drummers have higher microstructural diffusion properties in the corpus callosum than controls. This parameter also predicts drumming performance and GABA levels in the motor cortex. Moreover, drummers show less activation in the motor cortex when performing a finger‐tapping task than controls.ConclusionIn conclusion, professional drumming is associated with a more efficient neuronal design of cortical motor areas as well as a stronger link between commissural structure and biochemical parameters associated with motor inhibition.

Problems and resources of families that support children with heavy multiple disturbances in development

Introduction: The number of children with severe and multiple developmental disorders (SMDD) is increasing. These children suffer from intelligence disorder, speech, sensory sphere problems, general and fine motor skills, behavior and communication disturbance. A family, having a child with SMDD, faces a complex of various not only medical, but also psychological and pedagogical problems that are related to functioning of family, with parents fulfilling various roles in raising a child with disabilities. Specialists do not pay enough attention to the needs of parents and child’s family aspects with which he is raised. It is necessary to shift focus of attention from children rehabilitation with special educational needs (SEN) to accompanying family as a rehabilitation system. From the point of family-centered approach view, effectiveness of accompanying children with SMDD by specialists depends on extent to which it is possible to intensify and strengthen parents’ resources. Objective: analysis for problematic areas and resources of families raising children with SMDD. Materials and methods: the theoretical and methodological basis of study are: 1) theory of ecological systems by U. Bronfenbrenner, in which he relies on thesis of L.S. Vygotsky on the role of development of social situation in establishment of a child’s higher functions; 2) a system-factor approach in analysis of problem areas and family resources; 3) a resource approach to improving the quality of family life, raising a child with SMDD. We used system analysis, comparative and analytical methods. Results: from standpoint of a family-centered approach, families having children with SMDD have identified various problematic areas and resources at the level of various ecological systems that help them overcome these problems. The family problems and resources are interrelated and can be represented in the form of specific factors. Discussion and Conclusions: the family which has a child with a disability faces a complex of various medical, psychological, educational, informational and material problems. From the point of view of family-centered approach, the problems and resources of a family raising a child with SMSD are considered at the level of micro-meso-exo-macrosystems. In each system, there are factors that act as problematic areas that have a resource potential for improving life quality of a family raising a child with SSD. The proposed system-factor approach which helps to identify problematic areas and resources of a family raising children with SMSD can be used to render early assistance effectively and coordinate activities of specialists. Scientific novelty. It is proposed to consider the problematic areas and resource statuses for families raising children with SMDD. From standpoint of family-centered approach and ecological (micro, meso, exo, macro) systems, the specifying factors affecting the quality of family life are : pre-school, correctional and rehabilitative and public-state factors. Practical significance. The proposed system-factor approach to identifying problematic areas and resource statuses for families raising children with can be used to render early assistance and coordinate activities of specialists.

&lt;p&gt;Drawing the Line: The Challenges of Dysgraphia in Introductory Graphics Communication Courses&lt;/p&gt;

Drawing and sketching require the close interaction and coordination of psychomotor and biomechanical processes with developmental, learning, and maturational processes to perform the complex and fine motor behaviors of these activities. Dysgraphia is a learning disability that directly impacts a student’s ability to perform these tasks proficiently, if at all. Although dysgraphia is literally interpreted as “bad writing,” it also affects a person’s ability to visualize and draw lines and shapes. STEM subject matter and activities often involve drawing and sketching, and this ability to transfer mental imagery to paper and viceversa is one predictor of STEM education and career success. Given this, there may exist a population of students who are being overlooked and would benefit from a better understanding of the condition by educators and potential interventions that can be researched to engage these students within STEM disciplines.&#x0D; This paper will explore this learning disability as is exists in STEM education through a narrative case study involving a student currently enrolled in an engineering program. This case study is designed to understand the condition of dysgraphia and the barriers to STEM education as perceived and experienced by a student successfully mitigating these barriers through assistive technologies, self-advocacy, and teacher awareness. This paper is meant to raise awareness of the condition in our field and serve as a starting point in the literature where this topic currently represents a dearth of the academic discourse surrounding special education in STEM.

Proprioceptive Localization of the Fingers: Coarse, Biased, and Context-Sensitive.

The proprioceptive sense provides somatosensory information about positions of parts of the body, information that is essential for guiding behavior and monitoring the body. Few studies have investigated the perceptual localization of individual fingers, despite their importance for tactile exploration and fine manipulation. We present two experiments assessing the performance of proprioceptive localization of multiple fingers, either alone or in combination with visual cues. In the first experiment, we used a virtual reality paradigm to assess localization of multiple fingers. Surprisingly, the errors averaged 3.7 cm per digit, which represents a significant fraction of the range of motion of any finger. Both random and systematic errors were large. The latter included participant-specific biases and participant-independent distortions that evoked similar observations from prior studies of perceptual representations of hand shape. In a second experiment, we introduced visual cues about positions of nearby fingers, and observed that this contextual information could greatly decrease localization errors. The results suggest that only coarse proprioceptive information is available through somatosensation, and that finer information may not be necessary for fine motor behavior. These findings may help elucidate human hand function, and inform new applications to the design of human-computer interfaces or interactions in virtual reality.

Design of a Haptic-Gripper Virtual Reality System (Hg) for Analyzing Fine Motor Behaviors in Children with Autism

Fine motor skills, including grasping, manipulating, and reaching for objects, are a documented weakness for many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, relatively less research has attempted to address these motor deficits, especially by taking advantage of advanced technology. To explore potential mechanisms for expanding accessibility to fine motor intervention for people with ASD, we present the design and implementation of a feasibility study of a novel Haptic-Gripper Virtual Reality System (Hg). Hg is capable of providing analysis and practice opportunities of fine motor skills in an adaptive and low-cost virtual environment with real-time auditory, visual, and haptic feedback. The Haptic Gripper in Hg can detect a user's grip force and hand location and provide haptic feedback to guide hand movement and grip control while completing several simple and engaging virtual fine motor tasks. We conducted a feasibility study with six children with ASD and six typically developing (TD) children and found that participants were interested in using the Haptic Gripper and could quickly get used to the system. Although the results are preliminary and limited, we observed medium to strong correlations between the proposed fine motor skill metrics and the scores achieved with a standardized fine motor skill test and improvements of participants in accuracy and steadiness of movement and force control. This study provides important guidance for future investigations of the Hg's potential for assessing and improving fine motor manipulation skills.

Maternal posttraumatic stress disorder and infant developmental outcomes in a South African birth cohort study.

To investigate the association between maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and infant development in a South African birth cohort. Data from the Drakenstein Child Health Study were analyzed. Maternal psychopathology was assessed using self-report and clinician-administered interviews; and 6-month infant development using the Bayley III Scales of Infant Development. Linear regression analyses explored associations between predictor and outcome variables. Data from 111 mothers and 112 infants (1 set of twins) were included. Most mothers (72%) reported lifetime trauma exposure; the lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 20%. Maternal PTSD was significantly associated with poorer fine motor and adaptive behavior - motor development; the latter remaining significant when adjusted for site, alcohol dependence, and infant head-circumference-for-age z score at birth. Maternal PTSD may be associated with impaired infant neurodevelopment. Further work in low- and middle-income populations may improve early childhood development in this context. (PsycINFO Database Record