Link found between idea of ​​time, risk for developmental coordination disorder

Neuroscientists at McMaster University have found an association between children at risk for developmental coordination disorder (DCD), a potentially clumsy common condition, and problems with time comprehension such as explaining changes in rhythmic beats .

A proper understanding of time is essential for basic skills such as walking and speech and music processing.

“Many developmental problems, including dyslexia or reading difficulties, autism and attention deficits have been linked to deficits in study time perception,” says Laurel Trainor, lead author of the study and founding director of the McMaster Music Institute for Mindfulness. .

Previous research has shown that the brain networks involved in the perception of time often interfere with the motor control networks needed for tasks such as catching a ball or tapping on beats. music. To date, researchers had not investigated whether children with DCD were prone to study time deficits, despite being at risk for dyslexia and attention deficits.

The study, published online in the journal Child Development, provides new evidence of that association in children.

Developmental coordination disorder is a common but rarely studied condition that affects approximately five to 15 percent of children, who experience a wide range of problems with fine and / or full motor skills. It can have a profound and lifelong impact on daily activities such as dressing, writing, and engaging in sports or play, and often hinders learning, academic achievement, and socialization.

For this study, researchers employed more than 60 children aged 6 and 7 years, who underwent motor skills tests and were assessed as either at risk for GMP or developing well. normal.

During the first study, each child in a series of tests was asked to find out which two sounds were shorter in duration or had an uninterrupted rhythm. From this, researchers measured the minimum threshold or time difference at which each child could simply make the correct diagnosis.

“We found, in fact, that children at risk for GMP were significantly more sensitive to time changes compared to children who were normally developing,” said Andrew Chang, lead researcher and student a graduate in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behavior at McMaster.

In the second experiment, researchers used EEG to measure children’s brain waves while listening to a series of sounds that were converted to include intermittent temporal movements. Children at risk for DCD had slower brain activity due to the unexpected temporal movements.

There are no medications to treat GMP, but physiotherapy and occupational therapy can help children improve muscle strength, balance and coordination.

“We know interestingly that therapists sometimes incorporate regular rhythms into the physical therapy they give to children with DCD, and they think this helps – for example that children can walk better when they walk to a rhythm. “Chang explains.

“While our current study did not directly examine the effects of any intervention, the results suggest that music with appropriate and consistent beats could be used for physiotherapy to help treat children,” he said. he says.

It marks motor rehabilitation including auditory examination with metronomes or music beats, which help adult patients with Parkinson’s disease or who are recovering from a stroke. Further research could help determine if similar treatments are useful for children with GMP, he says.

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Editors Note: A copy of the study can be found at the following link:
https: //srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com /doi /epdf /10.1111 /cdev.13537