Gait and Muscle Power Training for Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Developmental Coordination Disorder
• Interventions: Behavioral: Rhythmical auditory stimulation gait training and muscle power training (RAS-MPT); Other: Controls; Behavioral: Rhythmical auditory stimulation gait training (RAS); Behavioral: Muscle power training (MPT)

• Registration Number: NCT03838614
• Lead Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong

Brief Summary

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of RAS-MPT, RAS alone, MPT alone, and usual care (as a control) for improving the overall gait performance of and reducing falls in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and to explore the relationship between gait performance and falls in this population.

Design: A randomized controlled trial. Sample: 76 children with DCD. Interventions: RAS-MPT, RAS alone, MPT alone, or usual care (12 weeks). Major outcomes: Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, post-intervention, and a 6-month follow-up. Comprehensive gait analysis will produce spatiotemporal gait parameters (e.g., velocity and stride length), kinematic gait parameters (e.g., knee joint motions), and leg muscle EMG outcomes; an isokinetic test will quantify leg muscle strength and force production time; and fall histories will be obtained via interviews. Anticipated results and significance: The RAS-MPT group is predicted to display the best gait performance, which is associated with reduced fall incidents. This novel training regime can be readily adopted in school, clinical, or home settings to improve locomotor ability in children with DCD, an outcome with positive socioeconomic implications.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2019-02
• Study First Submitted: 2019-02-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-02-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-02-08
• Study First Posted: 2019-02-12
• Last Update Posted: 2019-02-12
• Study Start: 2019-06-01
• Primary Completion: 2023-12-31
• Study Completion: 2023-12-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 76

Inclusion Criteria

• 6 to 9 years old
• classified as DCD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V
• < 5th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2)
• a total score of < 46 (for children aged 6 to 7 years 11 months) or < 55 (for children aged 8 to 9 years) on the DCD questionnaire 2007 (Chinese version)
• attending a mainstream school (i.e., intelligence level within the normal range).

Read More

Exclusion Criteria

• any congenital, cognitive, psychiatric (e.g., comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder), neurological, sensory, hearing, visual, vestibular, musculoskeletal, or cardiopulmonary disorder that may affect test performance
• obesity (body mass index [BMI] >95th percentile)
• receiving active treatment such as physiotherapy
• those unable to follow instructions.

Read More

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
RAS-MPT group	Rhythmical auditory stimulation gait training and muscle power training (RAS-MPT)	Rhythmical auditory stimulation gait training and muscle power training group
Control group	Controls	Usual care group
RAS group	Rhythmical auditory stimulation gait training (RAS)	Rhythmical auditory stimulation gait training group
MPT group	Muscle power training (MPT)	Muscle power training group

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in spatiotemporal gait parameter - double-limb support duration (% gait cycle)	9 months
Changes in spatiotemporal gait parameter - stride length (cm)	9 months
Changes in spatiotemporal gait parameter - cadence (steps/min)	9 months
Changes in spatiotemporal gait parameter - stance phase duration (% gait cycle)	9 months
Changes in spatiotemporal gait parameter - swing phase duration (% gait cycle)	9 months
Changes in spatiotemporal gait parameter - single-limb support durations (% gait cycle)	9 months
Changes in spatiotemporal gait parameter - gait velocity (m/s)	9 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in kinematic gait parameters	9 months	Maximum knee and ankle angles during different gait phases
Changes in leg muscle peak electromyographic values	9 months	Changes in leg muscle peak electromyographic values (in % of maximal voluntary isometric contraction) of rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius medialis muscles
Changes in leg muscle maximum strength	9 months	Changes in maximum muscle strength of knee extensors and flexors and ankle plantar flexors and dorsiflexors of the dominant leg as measured by dynamometry.
Changes in leg muscle force production time	9 months	Changes in muscle force production time of knee extensors and flexors and ankle plantar flexors and dorsiflexors of the dominant leg as measured by dynamometry.
Changes in self-reported falls	9 months	Children and parents will report the number of falls within the study period.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Hong Kong; 🇭🇰 Hong Kong, Hong Kong