The effect of motor load on planning and inhibition in developmental coordination disorder.
Previous research has reported mixed findings regarding executive function (EF) abilities in developmental coordination disorder (DCD), which is diagnosed on the basis of significant impairments in motor skills. The current study aimed to assess whether these differences in study outcomes could result from the relative motor loads of the tasks used to assess EF in DCD. Children with DCD had significant difficulties on measures of inhibition and planning compared to a control group, although there were no significant correlations between motor skills and EF task performance in either group. The complexity of the response, as well as the component skills required in EF tasks, should be considered in future research to ensure easier comparison across studies and a better understanding of EF in DCD over development.
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK.
Michelle L
ML
Pratt
Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK. Electronic address: h.leonard@gold.ac.uk.
Hayley C
HC
Leonard
Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
Hanna
H
Adeyinka
Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
Elisabeth L
EL
Hill
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011340:Problem Solving; D011594:Psychometrics; D057190:Stroop Test; D014888:Wechsler Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
Developmental coordination disorder; Executive function; Inhibition; Motor development; Planning