Poor visuo-spatial orientation and path memorization in children with dyslexia

Abstract

Purpose

Given the importance of spatial representation and navigation in the natural environment and the presence of sensory motor integration impairment in dyslexic children the aim of this study was to explore the capability in spatial orientation task in dyslexic children.

Materials and methods

We included forty children: 26 dyslexic children (mean age: 10.1 ± 0.3 years old) and 14 typically developing (TD) children (mean age: 10.1 ± 0.4 years old). Children have to walk on an unguided isosceles rectangle triangle of 3 meters that was marked on the ground of a room, during two visual conditions: eyes open and eyes closed. Their paths were recorded using the HTC Vive system (Base + Trackers) with a refresh rate of 90 Hz with accuracy < 0.05 mm.

Results

Results underlined that both groups of children reported poor performance during eyes closed condition. Moreover, dyslexic children, reported poor spatial orientation capabilities in the most difficult conditions, that is during reproduction of hypotenuse and angle of 45 deg.

Conclusions

We suggested that visual information is important during walking; the poor body orientation observed in dyslexic children could be due to a deficient integration of the sensorial inputs (visual, vestibular and proprioceptive). Further studies testing vestibular/cerebellar rehabilitation could be useful for these kinds of children.

Highlights

• Children with dyslexia showed poor spatial orientation capabilities compared to typically developing children, particularly when visual inputs are not available and in the most difficult conditions (like rotation of the body).

• Poor motor abilities reported by children with dyslexia could be due to cerebrocerebellar pathways impairments

Keywords:

• Dyslexia
• children
• spatial orientation
• sensory motor integration

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the children who participated in the study, Dr Sylvette R. Wiener-Vacher for support, M. Franck Assaban for lending the Vitualis® system and Dr Anne Laure Simon for technical assistance. Authors also thank the practitioners from the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department (Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France).

Author contributions

All authors were fully involved in the study and preparation of the manuscript. MPB: conceptualization. HP,EK,RD: selection of patients. SC,MB, and MPB: postural measure and data analysis. SC, MB and MPB: writing original draft. SC and MPB: review and editing.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.