Impaired Online Control in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder Reflects Developmental Immaturity

Abstract

The present study aimed to clarify whether a reduced ability to correct movements in-flight observed in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) reflects a developmental immaturity or deviance from the typical trajectory. Eighteen children with DCD (8–12 years), 18 age-matched controls, and 12 younger controls (5–7 years) completed a double-step reaching task. Compared to older controls, children with DCD and younger controls showed similarly prolonged reaching when the target unexpectedly shifted at movement onset and were equally slow to correct their reaching trajectory. These results suggest that impaired online control in DCD reflects developmental immaturity, possibly implicating the parietal-cerebellar cortices.