HAND FUNCTIONS OF CHILDREN WITH A SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER

INVESTIGATION OF HAND FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER

Children with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) may have problems with fine and gross motor skills compared to their healthy peers. These children may have poor manual dexterity. Taken together, it is not clear how motor and sensory competence of the hand are affected together. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the sensory and motor ability of the hand and to compare the examined parameters between the SLD group and the healthy control group.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Fine Motor Skills; Specific Learning Disability; Specific Learning Disorder; Hand Functions
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: No Interventions

Detailed Description

Specific learning disability (SLD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins at school age and sometimes goes undetected until adulthood. Its incidence in school-aged children is about 5-15%. Children with SLD have difficulty in fulfilling academic qualifications. In addition, there are various problems with fine motor skills, motor-coordination, balance and gross motor skills.

Upper extremity speed and dexterity affect fine motor performance (as they involve manipulative tasks that require a certain amount of time and higher motor skills). In the literature, it is reported that manual dexterity is a stronger predictor than balance on the functional mobility of children with SLD, and it is emphasized that strategies to improve dexterity performance should be focused in interventions for fine motor skills for these children. In addition, it is demonstrated that taking the necessary precautions and planning by evaluating the gross and fine motor skills in detail in SLD is important for the independence and achievements of children in their daily living activities.

Weak hand skills are expected in children with SLD. Problems based on hand performance can be addressed in a more comprehensive way by comparing these children with children with typical development in terms of motor performance and functional mobility. Similarly, although it is recommended to evaluate senses such as touch and stereognosia when evaluating fine motor performance in these children, no comprehensive study including sensory and motor evaluations has been found in the literature.

In this study, in children with SLD; It is aimed to examine the limitations of hand motor and sensory functions in daily activities in terms of general motor competencies and hand skills of the child and to compare them with the healthy control group.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 60

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, 03000
    • Afyonkarahisar Özel Eğitim ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 8 years to 14 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The convenience sampling will implement for this cross-sectional study. Children who have a diagnoisis of special learning disability regarding DSM-V criteria and who attends the Specific Learning Difficulty Support Education Program of the Ministry of National Education regularly twice a week will screen for eligibility by their physician and were subsequently requested to participate in this study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• To have a diagnosis of special learning disability (regarding DSM-V criteria)
• To be in the age range of 8-14

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any acute or chronic orthopedic or neurological disease that may affect walking performance,
• Any surgery within the last 6 months,
• Severe sensory (hearing, vision, etc.) impairment that prevents him/her from taking commands
• Cognitive and mental severe impairment

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Case-Control
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
SLD Group	Other: No Interventions; No Interventions
Healthy Control Group	Other: No Interventions; No Interventions

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Proficiency Test- 2 Short Form (BOT-2SF)	Assesses fine motor precision, fine motor integration, and manual dexterity. Scores are reported as a percentile rank; higher scores indicate better fine motor skills.	20 minutes
Hand Grip Force	Changes from the baseline, To measure hand grip strength through Hydraulic Hand held Dynamo-meter. It will be measured in kilograms.	10 minutes
Pinch Grip Force	Participants were seated at a table on which the dynamometers were positioned. The subjects were told to keep their elbow flexed without resting their arm or the grip handle of the dynamometer on the table. Results will be evaluated in pounds.	6 minutes
Abilhand Kids	to assess for performance of activity. score range 0-42 point, higher scores mean a better outcome.	5 minutes
Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test	to assess manual dexterity, higher scores mean a worse outcome.	25 minutes
Sensory Function	Proprioception, stereognosis, and two-point discrimination will be tested. Lower scores indicate better sensory function.	30 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Kutahya Health Sciences University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 5, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 15, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 31, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 31, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): April 8, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 6, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 5, 2022
• Last Verified: April 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Communication Disorders; Learning Disabilities; Specific Learning Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: KutahyaHSUozgulogrenmeguclugu

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No