Dual-task study of cognitive and postural interference: a preliminary investigation of the automatization deficit hypothesis of developmental co-ordination disorder.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether children with developmental co-ordination disorder and balance problem (DCD-BP) had greater problems than controls in performing a primary balance task while concurrently completing different cognitive tasks varying in oral or listening cognitive complexity, as well as to investigate the automatization deficit hypothesis of DCD-BP.


METHODS
Children with DCD-BP (n= 39), along with age-matched control counterparts (n= 39), were placed on automatic processing situation under dual-task conditions. All children were required to perform a primary task, five dual-task paradigms (oral counting task, auditory-verbal reaction task, auditory-choice reaction task, auditory-memory task and articulation alone) and an eyes-closed balancing task.


RESULTS
In the primary task condition, the differences were not statistically significant (P= 0.393) between children with and without DCD-BP. However, children with DCD-BP were significantly more impaired on three of five dual-task conditions (oral counting task: P= 0.003; auditory-verbal reaction task: P= 0.011; auditory-memory task: P= 0.041) compared with the single-task situation, with the exception of the auditory-choice reaction task (P= 0.471) and articulation alone (P= 0.067).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that children with DCD-BP were more cognitively dependant and may have an automatization deficit.
Tsai
C-L
CL
Institute of Physical Education, Health & Leisure Studies, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.
Pan
C-Y
CY
Cherng
R-J
RJ
Wu
S-K
SK
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004856:Postural Balance; D011434:Proprioception; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*