Movement Strategies During Balance Tasks in Children With and Without Developmental Coordination Disorder

NCT06802094 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: B1152024000023
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The main objective of the study is to gain insights in how children learn a balance task and whether there is a difference between children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder. Furthermore, the investigators are interested in the brain activity of these children while learning this new balance task.

Conditions

Development Coordination Disorder; Typical Developed Children

Keywords

Postural control; Movement strategies; Brain activity; Postural balance [Mesh]; Pediatrics [Mesh]; Motor Skills Disorders [Mesh]

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes in the center of mass velocity and acceleration after a single-training session in VR and after a one-week retention

  Measurement of the movement strategies used by children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) during a balance task. The movement strategies are measured by looking at the center of mass velocity and acceleration during this balance task. The goal is to: (1) investigate whether there is a difference in the used strategies between baseline and after a single training session of 30 minutes; (2) see whether the changes stay present after a one-week retention; (3) see whether there are differences between children with and without DCD.

  Baseline, after 30 minutes intervention, one week

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Hemodynamic response in cortical brain regions during balance tasks

  Baseline, one week

• Score on a comprehensive postural control measurement, Kids-BESTest-2

  Baseline

Other Outcomes (1)

• Score on a general motor scale, Movement Assessment Battery for Children, second edition

  Baseline

Study Arms (1)

Learning of a new balance task in virtual reality

EXPERIMENTAL

All children will perform a single training session (30 minutes) in a virtual reality environment, where one game will be played to challenge their balance. After one week, the children will play two games in the virtual reality environment to look at the retention (same game as first session) and transfer (similar game as first session).

Other: Single-session balance intervention in virtual reality

Interventions

Single-session balance intervention in virtual reality OTHER

Single-session balance intervention (30 minutes) in a virtual reality environment, the Gait Real-time analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL) or the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) in children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder (Motek Medical, The Netherlands).

Learning of a new balance task in virtual reality

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 7 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• For children with DCD
• Children with the clinical diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) based on criteria of the DSM-5 (APA, 2013), diagnosed by a pediatrician.
• Balance problems need to be present and objectified with the Balance Evaluation Systems Test for Children, second edition (Kids-BESTest-2). (total score below 80%)
• For children without DCD
• Total score at or below the 25th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for children, second edition
• Normal postural control, objectified by the Kids-BESTest-2 (score at or above 80%)
• Match with children with DCD based on their sex, age and potential comorbidities.

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of:
• Intellectual problems
• Visual problems
• Vestibular problems
• Neurological conditions
• Not able to follow instructions due to behavioral problems
• Refuse to participate

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hasselt University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hasselt Univeristy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences

Diepenbeek, Limburg, 3590, Belgium

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Skills Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Central Study Contacts

Maja Van Grinderbeek

CONTACT

+32476332092; maja.vangrinderbeek@uhasselt.be

Katrijn Klingels

CONTACT

katrijn.klingels@uhasselt.be

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Model Details: Case-control study (Children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder) with a follow-up measurement for retention and transfer after one week.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 27, 2025
• First Posted: January 30, 2025
• Study Start: August 18, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2027
• Last Updated: September 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Locations

BE (1)