Investigating the Unique Motor Characteristics and Corresponding Cortical Activation During Handwriting -- in 5-12 Year-old Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Sponsor
- National Cheng-Kung University Hospital
- Enrollment
- 58
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Chinese Handwriting Evaluation Form (CHEF)
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 2 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The mechanism of the motor problem in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in handwriting has been investigated in the following three aspects, including collecting dynamic handwriting performance, exploring the related underlying factors, and investigating corresponding brain activities. This study aimed to investigate the underlying factor of handwriting issue in children with ASD. There are four study aims. The first is to examine the differences of handwriting performance between children with ASD and TD using kinetic and kinematic measurements and handwriting difficulties questionnaires. The second is to investigate the group difference of the underlying motor factors, including fine motor ability and sensorimotor ability. The third is to explore the relationship between underlying motor factors and handwriting performance. The fourth is to explore the corresponding cortical activity during writing in children.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age between 5-12 years old
Exclusion Criteria
- •who have a diagnosis of a seizure disorder, genetic condition, neurological condition, uncorrected significant hearing or visual impairment, and/or intellectual disability
- •having non-verbal intelligent ability score lower than 70, determining by TONI-3
- •unable to follow instructions during the process
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Chinese Handwriting Evaluation Form (CHEF)
Time Frame: baseline
The CHEF is a questionnaire developed to assess and confirm the handwriting difficulties of preschooler (the third year of kindergarten) and school-aged children (grade one to two of elementary school). The school-aged version includes 25 items within five dimensions of handwriting problem: legibility, accuracy, speed, pencil grip, and directionality; while the preschooler version includes 22 items within four dimensions of handwriting problem: legibility, function (accuracy and speed), pencil grip, and attitude. The score is rated by teachers, parents, or familiar professionals with a 5-point Likert scale. A larger score indicates more difficulty in handwriting.
Pinch-Holding-Up Activity (PHUA) test
Time Frame: baseline
The PHUA test is used to measure one's sensorimotor ability. Through calculating the parameters (max pinch force, max load force, force ratio ... etc) to reflect one's ability to integrate sensory and produce a new output. A higher force ratio reflects a poorer sensorimotor ability.
Force-acquisition pen (FAP) system
Time Frame: baseline
FAP system was used to collect the kinetic data during the process of writing. During the experiment, children will be asked to perform some tasks: tracing line, writing numbers, writing Bopomofo, and writing characters. The force of thumb, index, middle fingers and pen tip will be recorded. This is able to reflect the motor control aspect of handwriting through a variety of parameters. The following parameters will be calculated: average force, max force ration, numbers of force fluctuation per second, ... and so on.
Movement Assessment Battery for Children Second Edition (MABC-2)
Time Frame: baseline
The MABC test is used to measure children's motor ability, including fine motor, balance and aiming and catching ability. The score will transform into z score and rank score, to reflect child's performance. A higher score indicates a better motor ability.
Secondary Outcomes
- Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)(baseline)