The Effects of a Group-based Gaze Training Intervention for Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

September 13, 2016 updated by: Greg Wood, Manchester Metropolitan University

A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Group-based, Gaze Training Intervention for Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

The aim of this study was to integrate a gaze training intervention (i.e., quiet eye training; QET) that has been shown to improve the throwing and catching skill of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), within an approach (i.e., group therapy) that might alleviate the psychosocial influence of these motor skill deficits.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Children with DCD will be randomly split into either QET group or a technical training (TT). The TT group will be given movement-related instructions via video, relating to the throw and catch phases, while the QET group will also be taught to fixate a target location on the wall prior to the throw (QE1) and to track the ball prior to the catch (QE2). Each group will take part in a 4- week, group therapy intervention and measurements of QE duration obtained from a mobile eye tracking system and catching performance are to be taken before and after training, and at a 6-week delayed retention test. Parental feedback on psychosocial and motor skill outcomes will also be collected at delayed retention.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

23

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

    • Cheshire
      • Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom, CW1 5DU
        • Manchester Metropolitan University

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

7 years to 11 years (CHILD)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Prior diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder or suspected to have DCD
  • Scores below the 5th percentile on the MABC-2 (Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2)
  • Be of normal intelligence (assessed through parent/teacher feedback)
  • No neurological disorder
  • Normal of corrected-to-normal vision

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Score over 5th Percentile on the MABC-2
  • Suffers from a neurological disorder
  • Below average intelligence
  • Any visual impairment

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
  • Masking: SINGLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Technical Training Group
15 children diagnosed with DCD
Children will watch an instructional video focused on movement related instructions regarding the throwing and catching task.
Experimental: Quiet Eye Training Group
15 children diagnosed with DCD
Children will watch the same video as the TT group but will also receive instructions designed to optimise their quiet eye durations.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Catching Success
Time Frame: From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
How many balls the participants catch out of 50 attempts
From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
Changes in the qualitative catching performance scale score
Time Frame: From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
The qualitative catching performance scale consisted of an 11-point scale whereby catch attempts were given a score between '0' (Makes no move towards the ball as it comes back) and '10' (The catch is made exclusively with the palms and fingers).
From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
Changes in Quiet Eye durations
Time Frame: From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
Changes in participants eye-movements
From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes 3D Movement Kinematics
Time Frame: From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
Changes in joint angles related to the throwing movement
From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
Changes in Muscular Activity (EMG)
Time Frame: From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
Changes in muscular activity related to the throwing task
From Baseline to after a 4 week training period, and after 6-week delayed retention test
Parental Perceptions of Motor Skill Improvements
Time Frame: End of the study (approximately 12 weeks after baseline testing)
Parent feedback will be gathered using a short answer questionnaire.
End of the study (approximately 12 weeks after baseline testing)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Study Director: Omid Alizadehkhaiyat, PhD, Liverpool Hope University

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

February 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 9, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 13, 2016

First Posted (Estimate)

September 19, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

September 19, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 13, 2016

Last Verified

September 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 15/NW/0279

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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