Tatiana Godoy Bobbio

The Inability To Mentally Represent Action May Be Associated With Performance Deficits in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

ABSTRACT Several research studies indicate that children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show delays with an array of perceptual-motor skills. One of the explanations, based on limited research, is that these children have problems generating and/or monitoring a mental (action) representation of intended actions, termed the “internal modeling deficit” (IMD) hypothesis. According to the hypothesis, children with DCD have significant limitations in their ability to accurately generate and utilize internal models of motor planning and control. The focus of this review is on one of the methods used to examine action representation—motor imagery, which theorists argue provides a window into the process of action representation (e.g., Jeannerod, . Neural simulation of action: A unifying mechanism for motor cognition. Neuroimage, 14, 103–109.). Included in the review are performance studies of typically developing and DCD children, and possible brain structures involved.

Examining Age-Related Movement Representations for Sequential (Fine-Motor) Finger Movements.

Theory suggests that imagined and executed movement planning relies on internal models for action. Using a chronometry paradigm to compare the movement duration of imagined and executed movements, we tested children aged 7-11 years and adults on their ability to perform sequential finger movements. Underscoring this tactic was our desire to gain a better understanding of the age-related ability to create internal models for action requiring fine-motor movements. The task required number recognition and ordering and was presented in three levels of complexity. Results for movement duration indicated that 7-year-olds and adults were different from the other groups with no statistical distinction between 9- and 11-year-olds. Correlation analysis indicated a significant relationship between imagined and executed actions. These results are the first to document the increasing convergence between imagined and executed movements in the context of fine-motor behavior; a finding that adds to our understanding of action representation in children.

Factors associated with inadequate fine motor skills in Brazilian students of different socioeconomic status

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the motor coordination of Brazilian schoolchildren of different socioeconomic status in their first year of primary education. Factors associated with inadequate fine motor skills were identified. A total of 238 schoolchildren, 118 from a public school and 120 from a private school, were evaluated on fine motor skills using the Evolutional Neurological Examination. Statistical analysis was performed using univariate logistic regression followed by multivariate analysis. Children attending public school had a 5.5-fold greater risk of having inadequate fine motor skills for their age compared to children attending private school, while children who started school after four years of age had a 2.8-fold greater risk of having inadequate motor coordination compared to children who began school earlier. Data for this sample suggest socioeconomic factors and later entry of children to school may be associated with their fine motor skills.

Interlimb coordination differentiates Brazilian children from two socioeconomic settings

Background:  The aim of the present study was to test the notion that Brazilian children entering private school have a motor function advantage over those entering their first year in public school.

The ability to mentally represent action is associated with low motor ability in children: a preliminary investigation.

BACKGROUND Theory and anatomical research suggest that the ability to mentally represent intended actions affect level of execution. This study presents preliminary data examining the association between childrens ability to mentally represent action and general motor ability. METHODS Children aged 7- to 10 years were assessed for motor imagery ability using a simulation of reach task and motor ability via the Movement ABC-2. Motor ability values, based on percentile rank, ranged from 2 to 91, with a mean of 36. RESULTS The overall correlation between mental representation and motor ability yielded a moderately positive relationship (r = .39). Interestingly, when looking at motor ability subcategories, only Balance was significant in the model, explaining 20% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS These results provide preliminary evidence that childrens motor ability and the ability to mentally represent action are associated in a positive direction. Furthermore, given the results for Balance, we speculate that there are clinical implications regarding work with potentially at-risk children.

Baixo peso ao nascer e alterações no desenvolvimento motor: a realidade atual

Objective: To review the literature about factors that may influence the occurrence of motor development deficits in low birth weight infants. Data sources: Studies with low birth weight infants published from 1984 to 2008, using the databases Medline and SciELO. Keywords were “low birth weight” and “motor development”; search was made on the English language. Data synthesis: Although variations in the development of children born preterm and full term are common, their understanding is still a challenge for professionals in the pediatric health area. Researchers use different assessments and scores, which makes the deficits more difficult to be diagnosed, understood and predicted. Different results are found depending on the type of evaluation, age and the population studied. It is well known that low birth weight infants are at a higher risk for cognitive, motor and behavioral problems. On this basis, a variety of studies that explore early intervention were expected; however, this is not the case. Conclusions: Due to the relationship between motor and other domains of development, its use is important for diagnostic purposes. There is a need to standardize results for a better understanding of the deficits that low birth weight children are likely to develop.

Interlimb coordination and academic performance in elementary school children.

The specific mechanisms linking motor ability and cognitive performance, especially academic achievement, are still unclear. Whereas the literature provides an abundance of information on fine and visual–motor skill and cognitive attributes, much less has been reported on gross motor ability. This study examined interlimb coordination and its relationship to academic performance in children aged 8–11 years.

Relationship Between Interlimb Coordination and Academic Performance In Elementary School Children.

The specific mechanisms linking motor ability and cognitive performance, especially academic achievement, are still unclear. Whereas the literature provides an abundance of information on fine and visual–motor skill and cognitive attributes, much less has been reported on gross motor ability. This study examined interlimb coordination and its relationship to academic performance in children aged 8–11 years.

Relationship between oral habits and spirometry maneuvers, in children

Purpose: to analyze whether deleterious oral habits can influence the number of attempts of forced spirometry maneuvers performed by healthy children. Methods: this observational and cross-sectional analytical study included 149 healthy children aged 6-12 years attending public and private schools in Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. A validated protocol was applied for the analysis of deleterious oral habits. The children were grouped according to the number of spirometry maneuvers needed to achieve successful spirometry results, as follows: G1) children who needed 3 maneuvers; G2) 4 maneuvers; G3) 5-8 maneuvers. Data were analyzed with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to compare quantitative variables between the groups. The Chi-square test was used to assess the association between the groups and qualitative variables. Results: there was no association between the number of attempts and the qualitative variables evaluated by the protocol. There was also no difference between the groups regarding quantitative variables for breastfeeding time, breastfeeding occurrence, use of pacifiers, and thumb sucking. Conclusion: the presence of DOH did not influence the number of forced spirometry maneuvers, performed by the healthy children in this study.

The validity and reliability of the ADL-Glittre test for children

ABSTRACT Objective: The ADL-Glittre was created to assess more comprehensively the essential activities of daily living in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aim of this study was to validate the ADL-Glittre test adapted for children (TGlittre-P) and verify its reliability. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 87 healthy children aged 6 to 14 years (mean 10.36 ± 2.32 years). Biometric and spirometry data were collected from all participants. On the same day, part of the sample (36 children included in the validation process) performed two 6MWT and two TGlittre-P (30-minute interval between them). The other part of the sample just performed two TGlittre-P for the reliability process. Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were used to verify the correlation between the time spent on the TGlittre-P and the distance walked in the 6MWT. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was also used to assess the reproducibility of the TGlittre-P. Results: The TGlittre-P showed a moderate negative correlation with the 6MWT (r = −0.490; p = 0.002; 95%CI −0.712 to −0.233). However, the behavior of the physiological variables that were monitored during the tests was similar and showed to be reproducible (ICC = 0.843; p = 0.000; 95%CI 0.695 to 0.911). Conclusion: The TGlittre-P proved to be a valid and reliable assessment of the functional capacity of healthy children aged 6 to 14 years.