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

The Influence of an Interceptive Task on Gait in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder Compared to Typically Developing Children

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..

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Gait
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Cognitive dual-task; Other: Motor dual-task

Detailed Description

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). This is a treadmill linked to a virtual environment used to analyse and train gait at the Children's Rehabilitation Centre of Ghent University Hospital. The data from children with DCD will be compared with typically developing children. In this study, only children with DCD will be included and the data resulting from this study will be compared to the data from the previous study in typically developing children (ID: B670201942108).

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. While walking at comfortable walking speed, two short games will be played i.e. dual-tasking. This involves both a cognitive (Stroop Colour-Word Test) and a motor (requires the use of the arms) dual task projected in the virtual environment of the GRAIL. The cognitive and motor task will be performed both while standing still (single tasking: ST) and while walking (dual tasking: DT). Simultaneously, kinetics, kinematics, and EMG data will be collected for 3D gait analysis. Using muscle synergy analysis (based on EMG data), the degree of gait automatization will be analysed. The data from children with DCD will be compared with typically developing children to determine whether a reduced gait automatization can be observed in children with DCD.

Parents will be asked to complete a screening list (CVO/DCD-Q) for motor problems in daily life. This aims as a support to the motor test (M-ABC-2), together providing additional insight into children's motor functioning (in daily life).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 23
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Michelle Verhoeven; Phone Number: +32 9 332 46 57; Email: michelle.verhoeven@ugent.be

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Ghent, Belgium, 9000
    • Recruiting
    • Ghent University
    • Contact: Lynn Bar-On, Prof.; Email: Lynn.BarOn@ugent.be
  • East-Flanders
    • Ghent, East-Flanders, Belgium, 9000
      • Recruiting
      • Ghent University
      • Contact: Lynn Bar-On, Prof.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• They have an official DCD diagnosis;
• Are aged between 7 and 17 years old;
• Can walk at least 15 minutes consecutively;
• Have good or corrected vision.

Exclusion Criteria:

• They suffer from a neurological disorder;
• Take medications that affect gait and balance;
• Have undergone surgical procedures on the lower limbs in the past;
• Experience pain in their lower limbs or back at the time of testing.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Treadmill walking; Participants will be asked to walk at different gait velocities for 1 minute. The treadmill speed will be increased incrementally at 0.1m/s intervals until just before running. The comfortable walking speed will be determined.	Other: 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.; Other: 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

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

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gait deviation index	Based on kinematics, the lower-limb gait deviations will be calculated (degrees)	Single point assessment, day 1
Game result (cognitive task)	Score (% correct)	Single point assessment, day 1
Game result (motor task)	Score (% correct)	Single point assessment, day 1

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Demographic data	Gender, age	Single point baseline assessment
Anthropometric data (height)	Height and segment lengths (cm)	Single point baseline assessment
Anthropometric data (weight)	Weight (kg)	Single point baseline assessment
M-ABC-2	Standardized tool to identify motor functioning in children (standard score between 1 and 19) Standard scores indicate: Significant motor difficulty: standard score < 6; Minor motor difficulties: standard score 6 or 7; No motor difficulty: standard score > 7	Single point baseline assessment
Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ)	Brief parent questionnaire to screen for coordination disorders in children (total score between 15-75) Children score suspected/an indication for DCD when: Age 5-7: score of <47; Age 8-9: score of <56; Age 10-15: score of <58	Single point baseline assessment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Ghent
• Collaborators: University Hospital, Ghent
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Lynn Bar-On, University Ghent

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 12, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 1, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 1, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 6, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 19, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: EMG; Gait analysis; Kinematics; Kinetics; Developmental Coordination Disorder; DCD; Dual-tasking; Selective motor control
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Motor Skills Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: ONZ-2023-0650

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