Top

BMC Neurology

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Study protocol

Motor imagery training for children with developmental coordination disorder – study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Authors: Imke L. J. Adams, Bert Steenbergen, Jessica M. Lust, Bouwien C. M. Smits-Engelsman

Published in: BMC Neurology | Issue 1/2016

Abstract

Background

Previous studies have shown that the predictive control of movements is impaired in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), most likely due to a deficit in the internal modeling of movements. Motor imagery paradigms have been used to test this internal modeling deficit. The aim of the present study is to examine whether a training focused on the mental imagery of motor skills, can help to improve the motor abilities of children with DCD.

Methods/Design

A pre-post design will be used to examine the motor performance, motor imagery and motor planning abilities before and after a training of 9 weeks. Two groups will be included in this study (1) one receiving motor imagery (MI) training focused on the forward modeling of purposive actions, (2) one receiving Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) training focused on identifying effective cognitive strategies that will increase motor competence. MI training will be given with the use of instruction videos of the motor skill that will be trained. Both groups will participate in 9 individual sessions of 45 min (once a week) with a paediatric physical or occupational therapist, added with homework sessions. Inclusion criteria are: (1) aged 7–12 years, (2) meeting the DSM-V criteria for DCD (motor performance substantially low (score on the m-ABC ≤ 16th percentile) and motor problems that interfere with daily life (DCDQ, and request for help at a paediatric physical or occupational therapist)). Exclusion criteria are IQ < 70 and other medical conditions causing the motor impairment.

Discussion

The results of this study will help to make treatment protocols for children with DCD more evidence-based. This study will increase our knowledge about the efficacy of both the MI training and CO-OP training, and both children with DCD and therapists will benefit from this knowledge.

Trial registration

www.trialregister.nl/NTR5471.

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Washington: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.CrossRef

Gaines R, Missiuna C, Egan M, McLean J. Interprofessional care in the management of a chronic childhood condition: Developmental Coordination Disorder. J Interprof Care. 2008;22(5):552–5.CrossRefPubMed

Wilson PH, Ruddock S, Smits-Engelsman B, Polatajko H, Blank R. Understanding performance deficits in developmental coordination disorder: a meta-analysis of recent research. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2013;55(3):217–28. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2012.04436.x.CrossRefPubMed

Adams ILJ, Lust JM, Wilson PH, Steenbergen B. Compromised motor control in children with DCD: A deficit in the internal model?-A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014;47C:225–44. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.08.011.CrossRef

Wilson PH, Butson M. Deficits underlying DCD (Chapter 4). In: Geuze RH, editor. Developmental Coordination Disorder: a review of current approaches. Marseille: Solal Editeurs; 2007. p. 115–9.

Wolpert DM. Computational approaches to motor control. Trends Cogn Sci. 1997;1(6):209–16. doi:10.1016/S1364-6613(97)01070-X.CrossRefPubMed

Hyde C, Wilson PH. Online motor control in children with developmental coordination disorder: chronometric analysis of double-step reaching performance. Child Care Health Dev. 2011;37(1):111–22. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01131.x.CrossRefPubMed

Hyde C, Wilson PH. Dissecting online control in Developmental Coordination Disorder: a kinematic analysis of double-step reaching. Brain Cogn. 2011;75(3):232–41. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2010.12.004.CrossRefPubMed

Blank R, Smits-Engelsman B, Polatajko H, Wilson PH. European Academy for Childhood Disability (EACD): Recommendations on the definition, diagnosis and intervention of developmental coordination disorder (long version). Dev Med Child Neurol. 2011;54:54–93. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.04171.x.CrossRef

10.

Miller LT, Polatajko HJ, Missiuna C, Mandich AD, Macnab JJ. A pilot trial of a cognitive treatment for children with developmental coordination disorder. Hum Mov Sci. 2001;20(1–2):183–210.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Niemeijer AS, Smits-Engelsman BC, Schoemaker MM. Neuromotor task training for children with developmental coordination disorder: a controlled trial. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2007;49(6):406–11.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Smits-Engelsman BC, Blank R, van der Kaay AC, Mosterd-van der Meijs R, Vlugt-van den Brand E, Polatajko HJ, et al. Efficacy of interventions to improve motor performance in children with developmental coordination disorder: a combined systematic review and meta-analysis. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2013;55(3):229–37. doi:10.1111/dmcn.12008.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Barnhart RC, Davenport MJ, Epps SB, Nordquist VM. Developmental coordination disorder. Phys Ther. 2003;83(8):722–31.PubMed

14.

Corcoran R, Tong L, Cameron D, Polatajko H.Task-specific intervention and CO-OP: Improving occupational performance for children. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Conference, Vancouver, BC, May 28, 2005.

15.

Polatajko HJ, Mandich AD, Miller LT, Macnab JJ. Cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP): part II – the evidence. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2001;20(2–3):83–106.PubMed

16.

Zwicker JG, Rehal H, Sodhi S, Karkling M, Paul A, Hilliard M, et al. Effectiveness of a summer camp intervention for children with developmental coordination disorder. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2015;35(2):163–77. doi:10.3109/01942638.2014.957431.CrossRefPubMed

17.

Thornton A, Licari M, Reid S, Armstrong J, Fallows R, Elliott C. Cognitive orientation to (daily) occupational performance intervention leads to improvements in impairments, activity and participation in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. Disabil Rehabil. 2015; 1–8. doi:10.3109/09638288.2015.1070298

18.

Schoemaker MM, Smits-Engelsman BCM. Neuromotor task training: a new approach to treat children with DCD. In: Sugden DA, Chambers M, editors. Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. London: Whurr; 2005. p 212–227.

19.

Schoemaker MM, Smits-Engelsman BCM. Is treating motor problems in DCD just a matter of practice and mere practice? Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2015;2(2):150–6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

20.

Jongmans MJ, Linthorst-Bakker E, Westenberg Y, Smits-Engelsman BCM. Use of a task-oriented self-instruction method to support children in primary school with poor handwriting quality and speed. Hum Mov Sci. 2003;22:549–66.CrossRefPubMed

21.

Schoemaker MM, Niemeijer AS, Reynders K, Smits-Engelsman BCM. Effectiveness of neuromotor task training for children with developmental coordination disorder: a pilot study. Neural Plast. 2003;10:155–63. doi:10.1155/NP.2003.155.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

22.

Wilson PH, Thomas PR, Maruff P. Motor imagery training ameliorates motor clumsiness in children. J Child Neurol. 2002;17(7):491–8.CrossRefPubMed

23.

Janssen JJ, Sheikh AA. Enhancing athletic performance through imagery: An Overview. In: Sheikh AA, Korn ER, editors. Imagery in sports and physcial performance. Amityville: Baywood Publishing Company; 1994. p. 1–22.

24.

Sharma N, Pomeroy VM, Baron JC. Motor imagery: a backdoor to the motor system after stroke? Stroke. 2006;37(7):1941–52.CrossRefPubMed

25.

Schuster C, Hilfiker R, Amft O, Scheidhauer A, Andrews B, Butler J, et al. Best practice for motor imagery: a systematic literature review on motor imagery training elements in five different disciplines. BMC Med. 2011;9:75. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-9-75.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

26.

Decety J, Boisson D. Effect of brain and spinal cord injuries on motor imagery. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1990;240(1):39–43.CrossRefPubMed

27.

Malouin F, Richards CL, Jackson PL, Dumas F, Doyon J. Brain activations during motor imagery of locomotor-related tasks: a PET study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2003;19(1):47–62.CrossRefPubMed

28.

Hetu S, Gregoire M, Saimpont A, Coll MP, Eugene F, Michon PE, et al. The neural network of motor imagery: an ALE meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2013;37(5):930–49. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.03.017.CrossRefPubMed

29.

Polatajko H, Mandich A. Enabling Occupation in Children: The Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) Approach. Ottawa: CAOT Publications ACE; 2004.

30.

Smits-Engelsman BCM. Handleiding Movement ABC-2-NL. Amsterdam: Pearson; 2010.

31.

Schoemaker MM, Reinders-Messelink AJ, De Kloet AJ. Coördinatievragenlijst voor Ouders (CVO) - Translation of DCD-Questionnaire By Wilson (2007). 2008.

32.

Scholte EM, van der Ploeg JD. ADHD-vragenlijst (AVL). Nippo- Nederlands Instituut voor Pedagogisch en Psychologisch Onderzoek, 2004.

33.

Polatajko HJ, Mandich AD, Missiuna C, Miller LT, Macnab JJ, Malloy-Miller T, et al. Cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP): part III – the protocol in brief. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2001;20(2–3):107–23.PubMed

34.

Malouin F, Jackson PL, Richards CL. Towards the integration of mental practice in rehabilitation programs. A critical review. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7:576. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00576.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

35.

Courtine G, Papaxanthis C, Gentili R, Pozzo T. Gait-dependent motor memory facilitation in covert movement execution. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2004;22(1):67–75.CrossRefPubMed

36.

Shadmehr R, Smith MA, Krakauer JW. Error correction, sensory prediction, and adaptation in motor control. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2010;33:89–108. doi:10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-153135.CrossRefPubMed

37.

Holmes PS, Collins DJ. The PETLEPP approach to motor imagery: a functional equivalence model for sport psychologists. J App Sport Psychol. 2001;13:60–83.CrossRef

38.

Decety J, Jeannerod M. Mentally simulated movements in virtual reality: Does Fitts's law hold in virtual reality? Behav Brain Res. 1996;72:127–34.CrossRef

39.

Jeannerod M. Mental imagery in the motor context. Neuropsychologia. 1995;33(11):1419–32.CrossRefPubMed

40.

Smith D, Holmes PS, Whitemore L, Collins D, Devonport T. The effect of theoretically-based imagery scripts on hockey penalty flick performance. J Sport Behav. 2001;24:408–19.

41.

Smith D, Wright C, Allsopp A, Westhead H. It’s all in the mind: PETLEPP-based imagery and sports performance. J App Sport Psychol. 2007;19:80–92. doi:10.1080/10413200600944132.CrossRef

42.

Lang PJ. The cognitive psychophysiology of emotion: Fear and anxiety. In: Tuma AH, Maser JD, editors. Anxiety and the anxiety disorder. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 1985.

43.

Cuthbert BN, Vrana SR, Bradley MM. Imagery: Function and physiology. In: Jennings PR, Ackles PR, Coles MGH, editors. Advances in psychophysiology. 4th ed. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 1991. p. 1–42.

44.

Decety J. Do imagined and executed actions share the same neural substrate? Cogn Brain Res. 1996;3(2):87–93.CrossRef

45.

Smith NC, Collins DJ. The role of psychophysiology as a research and intervention tool in sport psychology. J Psychophysiol. 1992;6:78.

46.

Hardy L, Callow N. Efficacy of external and internal visual imagery perspectives for the enhancement of performance on tasks in which form is important. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 1999;21(2):95–112.CrossRef

47.

Meichenbaum D. Cognitive-Behavior Modification: An integrative approach. New York: Plenum Press Publishing Corporation; 1977.CrossRef

48.

Sangster CA, Beninger C, Polatajko HJ, Mandich A. Cognitive strategy generation in children with developmental coordination disorder. Can J Occup Ther. 2005;72(2):67–77.CrossRefPubMed

49.

Van Waelvelde H, de Mey B, Smits-Engelsman B. SOS: een instrument om schrijfmotorische problemen op te sporen. Signal. 2012;21(78):4–12.

50.

Smits-Engelsman BCM, Stevens M, Vrenken I, Van Hagen A. Systematische Opsporing Schrijfproblemen (SOS): een hulpmiddel voor leerkrachten bij het signaleren van motorische schrijfproblemen van leerlingen in het Basis en Speciaal Onderwijs. [Systematic screening of handwriting problems (SOS): An instrument for teachers for screening of handwriting problem of children in primary school and special education] Kinderfysiotherapie. 2005; 16-20.

51.

ter Horst AC, van Lier R, Steenbergen B. Mental rotation task of hands: differential influence number of rotational axes. Exp Brain Res. 2010;203(2):347–54. doi:10.1007/s00221-010-2235-1.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

52.

Smits-Engelsman BC, Wilson PH. Age-related changes in motor imagery from early childhood to adulthood: probing the internal representation of speed-accuracy trade-offs. Hum Mov Sci. 2013;32(5):1151–62. doi:10.1016/j.humov.2012.06.006.CrossRefPubMed

53.

Coslett HB. Evidence for a disturbance of the body schema in neglect. Brain Cogn. 1998;37(3):527–44.CrossRefPubMed

54.

Wolpert DM, Ghahramani Z. Computational principles of movement neuroscience. Nat Neurosci. 2000;3(Suppl):1212–7.CrossRefPubMed

55.

Johnson-Frey SH, McCarty ME, Keen R. Reaching beyond spatial perception: Effects of intended future actions on visually guided prehension. Vis Cogn. 2004;11(2–3):371–99. doi:10.1080/13506280344000329.CrossRef

56.

Craje C, Aarts P, Nijhuis-van der Sanden M, Steenbergen B. Action planning in typically and atypically developing children (unilateral cerebral palsy). Res Dev Disabils. 2010;31(5):1039–46. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2010.04.007.CrossRef

57.

Jongbloed-Pereboom M, Nijhuis-van der Sanden MWG, Saraber-Schiphorst N, Craje C, Steenbergen B. Anticipatory action planning increases from 3 to 10 years of age in typically developing children. J Exp Child Psychol. 2013;114(2):295–305. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2012.08.008.CrossRefPubMed

58.

Desmurget M, Grafton S. Feedback or feedforward control: end of a dichotomy. In: Johnson-Frey SH, editor. Taking action: Cognitive neuroscience perspectives on intentional acts. Cambridge: MIT Press; 2003. p. 289–338.

59.

Jelsma D, Geuze RH, Mombarg R, Smits-Engelsman BC. The impact of Wii Fit intervention on dynamic balance control in children with probable Developmental Coordination Disorder and balance problems. Hum Mov Sci. 2014;33:404–18. doi:10.1016/j.humov.2013.12.007.CrossRefPubMed

60.

Cohen J, editor. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. NY: Academic; 1969.

61.

Bubic A, von Cramon DY, Schubotz RI. Prediction, cognition and the brain. Front Hum Neurosci. 2010;4:25. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2010.00025.PubMedPubMedCentral

Title: Motor imagery training for children with developmental coordination disorder – study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Imke L. J. Adams
Bert Steenbergen
Jessica M. Lust
Bouwien C. M. Smits-Engelsman
Publication date: 01-12-2016
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Neurology / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2377
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-016-0530-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Motor imagery training for children with developmental coordination disorder – study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background

Methods/Design

Discussion

Trial registration

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods/Design

Discussion

Trial registration

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

Behavioural interventions for people living with adult-onset primary dystonia: a systematic review

Adjunctive dexamethasone therapy in unconfirmed bacterial meningitis in resource limited settings: is it a risk worth taking?

Safety and efficacy of daclizumab in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: 3-year results from the SELECTED open-label extension study

Predictive value of the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS) and its components for long-term survival

A randomized double-blind multi-center trial of hydrogen water for Parkinson’s disease: protocol and baseline characteristics

Non-invasive real-time biopsy of intracranial lesions using short time expanded circulating tumor cells on glass slide: report of two cases