Effects of Acute Exercise on Motor Learning and Brain Activity in Children With DCD

Launched by INSTITUT NACIONAL D'EDUCACIO FISICA DE CATALUNYA · Jun 30, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how a short, intense exercise session affects the ability to learn new motor skills and how the brain works in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) compared to those with typical motor development. The researchers want to see if exercising helps improve learning and retention of motor tasks, like moving a circle on a computer screen using a joystick. The study involves several sessions where children will either exercise or rest, followed by tests to measure their learning and brain activity.

To participate, children aged 8 to 12 who have either DCD or typical development may be eligible, as long as they score below a certain level on a movement assessment and have average or better cognitive abilities. Children with some attention or learning issues may still qualify. Throughout the trial, participants will go through physical tests, engage in learning tasks, and wear a special headcap that measures brain activity. It’s a unique opportunity to help researchers understand the connections between exercise, learning, and brain function in children.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Movement assessment battery for children - second edition (MABC-2) score: developmental coordination disorder (DCD) group score \<15% and typically developed (TD) group score \>25%
• • An average or better cognitive ability tested through the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence version 4 (TONI-4)
• • A parent-report history to confirm that, according to the child's pediatrician, motor difficulties showed by their child cannot be explained by any other neurological, developmental, and/or severe psychosocial problem. Comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit disorder, and dyslexia will be acceptable in order to better represent the DCD population since data population-based studies suggest that almost 40% of the children with DCD have combined problems related to learning and/or attentional disorders.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Participant health status do not allow hem/her to participate in physical activities (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire, PAR-Q)
• • Other comorbidities than attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit disorder, and/or dyslexia
• • Reported neurological, developmental, and/or severe psychosocial problem that could explain the motor development problem
• • Participant that takes medication that could affect results
• • Uncorrected 20/20 vision