Functional Movement-power Training for Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Randomised Controlled Trial

March 18, 2015 updated by: Shirley S.M. Fong, The University of Hong Kong

Enhancing Neuromuscular Performance and Central Nervous System Plasticity Through Functional Movement-power Training to Improve Balance Strategies in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of functional movement-power training (PT-FMT), functional movement training (FMT) alone and no intervention in improving balance strategies and performance among children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD).

Design: A randomised controlled clinical trial. Sample: 87 children with DCD. Interventions: 12 weeks of PT and FMT or FMT alone in the two intervention groups.

Major outcomes: Sensory organisation test - balance strategy and composite scores; Movement Assessment Battery for Children - total impairment score and balance subscore; hand-held dynamometer measurements of lower limb muscle strength and time to peak force.

Study Overview

Status

Unknown

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

With the growing numbers of children with dyspraxia in Hong Kong, the focus of paediatric rehabilitation services has shifted from severe motor disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy) to relatively minor motor problems such as developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Evidence-based treatment strategies must be developed to suit this changing need. Children diagnosed with DCD are characterised by marked impairment in motor functions. Poor balance ability is a major concern because it may predispose children to falls and affect their motor skill development. At present, rehabilitation regimes for DCD-affected children use functional movement training (FMT) to induce neural plastic changes in the central nervous system (CNS) and thus enhance functional (balance) performance. Less emphasis is placed on treating the neuromuscular impairments that might also affect functional outcomes. Recently, the investigators research team discovered that slowed hamstring muscle force production, a neuromuscular deficit, may be one of the causes of poor balance strategies in children with DCD, but no effective treatment strategy has yet been examined. Power training (PT) has been found to be effective in increasing the speed of muscle force production and balance in adults through various neuromuscular mechanisms. In this study, the investigators intend to treat both the CNS and peripheral neuromuscular deficits in DCD-affected children. Therefore, the investigators will incorporate PT into a conventional FMT regime. The investigators hypothesise that balance strategies and functional performance in children with DCD will be improved most by treating both the CNS and neuromuscular deficits. This hypothesis will be supported by the finding that PT with FMT is superior to FMT alone in improving balance strategies and functional performance in children with DCD.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of PT-FMT, FMT alone and no intervention in improving balance strategies and performance among children with DCD. Design: A randomised controlled clinical trial. Sample: 87 children with DCD. Interventions: 12 weeks of PT and FMT or FMT alone in the two intervention groups.

Major outcomes: Sensory organisation test - balance strategy and composite scores; Movement Assessment Battery for Children - total impairment score and balance subscore; hand-held dynamometer measurements of lower limb muscle strength and time to peak force.

Anticipated results and clinical significance: DCD-affected children who receive FMT together with PT will have the best balance performance outcomes. If the results are positive, this training programme could be readily transferrable to clinical practice. This could have positive socio-economic implications, such as shorter treatment periods and reduced healthcare costs.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

87

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

      • Pokfulam, Hong Kong
        • University of Hong Kong

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

6 years to 10 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. a formal diagnosis of DCD based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)
  2. a gross motor composite score ≤ 42 on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency
  3. 6-10 years old
  4. attending a mainstream school; and (5) no intellectual impairment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. diagnosis of an emotional, neurological or other movement disorder
  2. significant congenital, musculoskeletal or cardiopulmonary disorders that might affect motor performance
  3. receiving active treatments including traditional Chinese medicine
  4. disruptive behaviour
  5. unable to follow instructions thoroughly.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: PT-FMT
Functional movement-power training group
Physiotherapeutic functional movement-power training
Experimental: FMT alone
Functional movement training group
Physiotherapeutic power training
No Intervention: Control
No intervention control group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Changes in sensory organisation test balance strategy
Time Frame: Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Changes in sensory organisation test composite scores
Time Frame: Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Changes in Movement Assessment Battery for Children total impairment score
Time Frame: Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Changes in Movement Assessment Battery for Children balance subscore
Time Frame: Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Changes in hand-held dynamometer measurements of lower limb muscle strength
Time Frame: Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Changes in hand-held dynamometer measurements of lower limb muscle time to peak force
Time Frame: Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)
Baseline (0 month), 3-month post-intervention (3 months), and 3-month follow-up (6 months)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

March 1, 2014

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

March 1, 2017

Study Completion (Anticipated)

March 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 9, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 18, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

March 19, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

March 19, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 18, 2015

Last Verified

March 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 27100614

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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