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The Effect of Perceptual-Motor Training on Executive Functions in Children with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder.

ABSTRACT: Purpose:Research shows an atypical cognitive process in children with ?nonverbal ?learning ?disorder (NLD) compared to typically developing children, but a wealth of information indicates that physical activity can influence cognitive processes. However, little is known about the effects of perceptual-motor training and its impact on the cognitive process of children with NLD. Thus, the major goals of this study are to compare the ?executive ?functions (EFs) in children with NLD with typically developing children and then to investigate the effect of perceptual-motor training on EFs of children with NLD. Methods:To achieve the first goal, 400 typically developing (IQ >80) and NLD children (7-13 years old) were randomly selected in the city of Mashhad, Iran, during the period 2017-2018. As for the second goal, 50 children with NLD were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. To evaluate executive functions, Delis-Kaplan executive function system test was used at the pretest, posttest, and 3-month follow-up. The experimental group received the Werner and Reini's perceptual-motor training program in sixteen 45-min sessions (three sessions per week), but the control group did not receive any intervention. Results:The results showed that children with NLD were significantly weaker than typically developing children in London Tower Test (t (38) = -4.662, p <0.01), Trail Making Test (t (33.926) = -3.11, p <0.01), Card ?Sorting ?Test (t (38) = -3.427, p <0.01), and Stroop ?Color ?Test (t (30.035) = -5.876, p <0.01). The Pilates training had an obvious effect on enhancing the performance of participants in the experimental group (p<0.001), but similar results were not observed in the control group. Conclusion:Children with NLD have problems in EFs, but perceptual-motor training can be used as an effective intervention for these children.

SUBMITTER: Soltani Kouhbanani S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7211306 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Effect of Perceptual-Motor Training on Executive Functions in Children with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder.

Soltani Kouhbanani Sakineh S Arabi Seyedeh Manizheh SM Zarenezhad Somayeh S Khosrorad Razieh R

Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment 20200505

<h4>Purpose</h4>Research shows an atypical cognitive process in children with nonverbal learning disorder (NLD) compared to typically developing children, but a wealth of information indicates that physical activity can influence cognitive processes. However, little is known about the effects of perceptual-motor training and its impact on the cognitive process of children with NLD. Thus, the major goals of this study are to compare the executive functions (EFs) in children with NLD with typ ...[more]

PMID: 32440127

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Project description:There is growing evidence indicating positive, causal effects of acute physical activity on cognitive performance of school children, adolescents, and adults. However, only a few studies examined these effects in kindergartners, even though correlational studies suggest moderate relationships between motor and cognitive functions in this age group. One aim of the present study was to examine the correlational relationships between motor and executive functions among 5- to 6-year-olds. Another aim was to test whether an acute coordinative intervention, which was adapted to the individual motor functions of the children, causally affected different executive functions (i.e., motor inhibition, cognitive inhibition, and shifting). Kindergartners (N = 102) were randomly assigned either to a coordinative intervention (20 min) or to a control condition (20 min). The coordination group performed five bimanual exercises (e.g., throwing/kicking balls onto targets with the right and left hand/foot), whereas the control group took part in five simple activities that hardly involved coordination skills (e.g., stamping). Children's motor functions were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (Petermann, 2009) in a pre-test (T1), 1 week before the intervention took place. Motor inhibition was assessed with the Simon says task (Carlson and Wang, 2007), inhibition and shifting were assessed with the Hearts and Flowers task (Davidson et al., 2006) in the pre-test and again in a post-test (T2) immediately after the interventions. Results revealed significant correlations between motor functions and executive functions (especially shifting) at T1. There was no overall effect of the intervention. However, explorative analyses indicated a three-way interaction, with the intervention leading to accuracy gains only in the motor inhibition task and only if it was tested directly after the intervention. As an unexpected effect, this result needs to be treated with caution but may indicate that the effect of acute coordinative exercise is temporally limited and emerges only for motor inhibition, but not for cognitive inhibition or shifting. More generally, in contrast to other studies including older participants and endurance exercises, no general effect of an acute coordinative intervention on executive functions was revealed for kindergartners.

Project description:Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a heterogeneous condition. Besides motor impairments, children with DCD often exhibit poor visual perceptual skills and executive functions. This study aimed to characterize the motor, perceptual, and cognitive profiles of children with DCD at the group level and in terms of subtypes. A total of 50 children with DCD and 31 typically developing (TD) peers (7-11 years old) underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological (15 tests) and motor (three subscales of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2) assessment. The percentage of children with DCD showing impairments in each measurement was first described. Hierarchical agglomerative and K-means iterative partitioning clustering analyses were then performed to distinguish the subtypes present among the complete sample of children (DCD and TD) in a data-driven way. Moderate to large percentages of children with DCD showed impaired executive functions (92%) and praxis (meaningless gestures and postures, 68%), as well as attentional (52%), visual perceptual (46%), and visuomotor (36%) skills. Clustering analyses identified five subtypes, four of them mainly consisting of children with DCD and one of TD children. These subtypes were characterized by: (i) generalized impairments (8 children with DCD), (ii) impaired manual dexterity, poor balance (static/dynamic), planning, and alertness (15 DCD and 1 TD child), (iii) impaired manual dexterity, cognitive inhibition, and poor visual perception (11 children with DCD), (iv) impaired manual dexterity and cognitive inhibition (15 DCD and 5 TD children), and (v) no impairment (25 TD and 1 child with DCD). Besides subtle differences, the motor and praxis measures did not enable to discriminate between the four subtypes of children with DCD. The subtypes were, however, characterized by distinct perceptual or cognitive impairments. These results highlight the importance of assessing exhaustively the perceptual and cognitive skills of children with DCD.

Dataset Information

The Effect of Perceptual-Motor Training on Executive Functions in Children with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder.

Publications

The Effect of Perceptual-Motor Training on Executive Functions in Children with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder.

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