Clinical trial NCT06400043: Dual-tasking Effect on Gait in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder
Official title: The Influence of an Interceptive Task on Gait in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder Compared to Typically Developing Children
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Gait
Keywords: Gait analysis
Dual-tasking
EMG
Kinematics
Kinetics
Selective motor control
Developmental Coordination Disorder
DCD
Lead sponsor: University Ghent
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University Hospital, Ghent
First posted: 2024-05-06
Enrollment: 23
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 7
Maximum age (years): 17
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: The aim of the study is to collect data in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) aged between 7 and 17 years for analyses of the gait pattern while walking at the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL) at the university hospital of Ghent.

Children with DCD will be asked to take a motor test (M-ABC-2) as well as walk on the treadmill during a single session of approximately 3 hours.

The following data will be collected on the GRAIL while subjects walk at different gait speeds: 3D kinematics, kinetics, and EMG.

Additionally, 3D kinematics, kinetics, and EMG data will be collected when performing either a cognitive (Stroop Color and Word Test) or motor (requiring arm swing) dual-task while walking at comfortable walking speed..

Detailed description: The aim of the study is to collect data in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) aged between 7 and 17 years for analyses of the gait pattern while walking at the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL). This is a treadmill linked to a virtual environment used to analyse and train gait at the Children's Rehabilitation Centre of Ghent University Hospital. The data from children with DCD will be compared with typically developing children. In this study, only children with DCD will be included and the data resulting from this study will be compared to the data from the previous study in typically developing children (ID: B670201942108).

Children with DCD will be asked to take a motor test (M-ABC-2) as well as walk on the treadmill during a single session of approximately 3 hours. While walking at comfortable walking speed, two short games will be played i.e. dual-tasking. This involves both a cognitive (Stroop Colour-Word Test) and a motor (requires the use of the arms) dual task projected in the virtual environment of the GRAIL. The cognitive and motor task will be performed both while standing still (single tasking: ST) and while walking (dual tasking: DT). Simultaneously, kinetics, kinematics, and EMG data will be collected for 3D gait analysis. Using muscle synergy analysis (based on EMG data), the degree of gait automatization will be analysed. The data from children with DCD will be compared with typically developing children to determine whether a reduced gait automatization can be observed in children with DCD.

Parents will be asked to complete a screening list (CVO/DCD-Q) for motor problems in daily life. This aims as a support to the motor test (M-ABC-2), together providing additional insight into children's motor functioning (in daily life).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* They have an official DCD diagnosis;
* Are aged between 7 and 17 years old;
* Can walk at least 15 minutes consecutively;
* Have good or corrected vision.

Exclusion Criteria:

* They suffer from a neurological disorder;
* Take medications that affect gait and balance;
* Have undergone surgical procedures on the lower limbs in the past;
* Experience pain in their lower limbs or back at the time of testing.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Kinematics
timeFrame: Single point assessment, day 1
measure: Kinetics
timeFrame: Single point assessment, day 1
measure: EMG
timeFrame: Single point assessment, day 1
measure: Muscle synergies
timeFrame: Single point assessment, day 1
measure: Spatiotemporal parameters
timeFrame: Single point assessment, day 1
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Gait deviation index
timeFrame: Single point assessment, day 1
measure: Game result (cognitive task)
timeFrame: Single point assessment, day 1
measure: Game result (motor task)
timeFrame: Single point assessment, day 1
Other outcomes:
measure: Demographic data
timeFrame: Single point baseline assessment
measure: Anthropometric data (height)
timeFrame: Single point baseline assessment
measure: Anthropometric data (weight)
timeFrame: Single point baseline assessment
measure: M-ABC-2
timeFrame: Single point baseline assessment
measure: Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ)
timeFrame: Single point baseline assessment
Locations:
city: Ghent
country: Belgium
facility: Ghent University
state: East-Flanders
city: Ghent
country: Belgium
facility: Ghent University
Study officials:
affiliation: University Ghent
name: Lynn Bar-On
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: