Dual-tasking Effect on Gait in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Cognitive dual-task: Participants will be asked to walk at comfortable walking speed while playing an additional cognitive task, namely the Stroop Color and Word Test.

Motor dual-task: Participants will be asked to walk at comfortable walking speed while playing an additional motor task, namely a game that requires arm swing to hit the targets.

Study 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..

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Kinematics — Single point assessment, day 1
  3D kinematics of lower and upper limb joints while walking (degrees)
• Kinetics — Single point assessment, day 1
  3D kinetics of lower limb joints while walking (Nm)
• EMG — Single point assessment, day 1
  Muscle activity of 16 lower limb muscles (microvolts)
• Muscle synergies — Single point assessment, day 1
  Synergy analysis will be conducted using the EMG data (variance accounted for -VAF)
• Spatiotemporal parameters — Single point assessment, day 1
  Spatial parameters (m), temporal parameters (s), walking velocity (m/s)

Trial sites (2)

More University Ghent trials in Belgium

Other trials for the same condition