Motor Problems (motor + problem)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Motor function and methylphenidate effect in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2010
Liv Larsen Stray
Abstract Aim:, Hyperactivity, impulsivity and poor attention are the core problems of ADHD and central stimulant medication is the preferred treatment. Many children with ADHD also display motor problems. The present study investigated the presence of motor problems in subjects who showed positive response to central stimulants on ADHD symptoms, compared with non-responders. Method:, This is a retrospective study of 73 children diagnosed ADHD, aged 5,17 years, who had been assessed with parts of the ,Motor Function Neurological Assessment' (MFNU) and evaluated with regard to effect of central stimulant medication. The sample was divided into two subgroups based on the responses to methylphenidate: Medicine responders and Non medicine responders. Results:, Stimulant responders showed significantly more motor problems than the non-responders on all sub-tests and on the total problem score of the MFNU. Motor problems were present both in younger (age 5,10 years) and older (11,17 years) stimulant responders. There were no gender differences in motor performance. Conclusion:, Our findings indicate that the probability of positive effect of central stimulants on core problems of ADHD is higher when motor problems are present in addition to ADHD symptoms, than when motor problems are absent. [source]


Prevalence of persistent primary reflexes and motor problems in children with reading difficulties

DYSLEXIA, Issue 4 2004
M. McPhillips
Abstract It has been shown that some children with reading difficulties have underlying developmental delay and that this may be related to the persistence of primary reflexes. This study investigated the prevalence of persistent primary reflexes in the ordinary primary school population and how this related to other cognitive and social factors. Three groups of 41 children were drawn from a representative, cross-sectional sample of 409 children (aged 9,10 years) attending 11 ordinary primary schools in N. Ireland. The three groups represented the bottom, middle and top 10% respectively of readers from the total sample population. The relative persistence (on a scale of 0 to 4) of the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) and the prevalence of motor difficulties were assessed for these 3 groups. The rôle of 5 predictor variables (verbal IQ, social deprivation, sex, month of birth and religious affiliation) in determining the reading level of the total sample was also investigated. It was found that the lowest reading group had a significantly higher mean level of ATNR (1.56 [95% CI 1.22,1.90]) compared with the middle reading group (0.56 [0.22,0.90]) and the top reading group (0.59 [0.25,0.92]). 17% of children in the lowest reading group had extremely high levels of the ATNR while 24% showed no presence of ATNR. This contrasted with 0% and 66%, respectively for both middle and top reading groups. It was also found that there was a significant difference between the lowest reading group and the top reading group on a standardised test of motor ability. Furthermore, there was evidence that ATNR persistence but not motor ability was associated with the sex of the child with boys, in particular, at risk. There was no evidence that ATNR persistence or motor ability was significantly associated with social deprivation. It was also found that there were no significant differences between dyslexic and non-dyslexic children with reading difficulties in motor (including balance) performance. This study highlights the high levels of primary reflex persistence in children with reading difficulties and it provides further evidence of the association between reading difficulties and movement difficulties in young children. However, while the implications for intervention are discussed, it is stressed that the persistence of primary reflexes cannot be used as a causal model for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of neuromotor behaviour in children with a specific speech and language disorder

INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2002
Michele Noterdaeme
Abstract Several studies have described problems in a wide area of motor functions in language impaired children. The purpose of this study was to identify the nature of the motor deficits in two subgroups of language impaired children. A standard neurological examination was performed on 18 children with an expressive language disorder and 21 children with a receptive language disorder. The motor performance of the language disordered children was compared with the motor performance of 23 normal children. The standard neurological examination allowed for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of five specific neurological subsystems. Handedness was determined for all children. The language impaired children had more motor problems than the control children on most neurological subsystems. There were few statistically significant differences between the two groups of language impaired children. An excess in left-handedness was established in the group of children with a receptive language disorder. There was a co-occurrence of verbal and non-verbal deficits in language impaired children. As these motor problems put an additional burden on the development of language impaired children, they should be diagnosed as early as possible. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Providing Nutrition Supplements to Institutionalized Seniors with Probable Alzheimer's Disease Is Least Beneficial to Those with Low Body Weight Status

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 8 2004
Karen W. H. Young MSc
Objectives: To examine whether providing a midmorning nutrition supplement increases habitual energy intake in seniors with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to investigate the effects of body weight status and cognitive and behavioral function on the response to the intervention. Design: Randomized, crossover, nonblinded clinical trial. Setting: A fully accredited geriatric teaching facility affiliated with the University of Toronto's Medical School with a home for the aged. Participants: Thirty-four institutionalized seniors with probable AD who ate independently. Intervention: Nutrition supplements were provided between breakfast and lunch for 21 consecutive days and compared with 21 consecutive days of habitual intake. Measurements: Investigator-weighed food intake, body weight, cognitive function (Severe Impairment Battery and Global Deterioration Scale), behavioral disturbances (Neuropsychiatric Inventory,Nursing Home Version), and behavioral function (London Psychogeriatric Rating Scale). Results: Relative to habitual intake, group mean analyses showed increased 24-hour energy, protein, and carbohydrate intake during the supplement phase, but five of 31 subjects who finished all study phases completely compensated for the energy provided by the supplement by reducing lunch intake, and 24-hour energy intake was enhanced in only 21 of 31 subjects. Compensation at lunch was more likely in subjects with lower body mass indices, increased aberrant motor behavior, poorer attention, and increased mental disorganization/confusion. Conclusion: Nutrition supplements were least likely to enhance habitual energy intake in subjects who would normally be targeted for nutrition intervention,those with low body weight status. Those likely to benefit include those with higher body mass indices, less aberrant motor problems, less mental disorganization, and increased attention. [source]


Coupling between limb tremor and postural sway in Parkinson's disease

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 3 2008
Graham Kerr BSc, MPhED
Abstract Increased tremor and postural instability are motor problems commonly associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite the similarity between these oscillatory forms, little is known about the relation between them, especially for individuals with enhanced tremor. This study was designed to examine the nature of any relation between center of pressure (COP) excursions and postural/resting limb tremor of young, older individuals, and Parkinsonian participants in their different medication states. The resting and postural tremor for the PD participants was characterized by a single, prominent peak frequency between 4 and 7 Hz. The postural tremor for young/older participants contained smaller peaks between 1 to 4 and 7 to 12 Hz although no prominent peak was seen in their resting tremor. The AP and ML COP dynamics of all participants was characterized by a major peak between 0.1 and 0.5 Hz. An additional peak was observed in the COP output of the PD participants between 4 and 7 Hz. While no tremor-COP coupling was observed for the young/old groups, coherence analysis revealed a significant degree of coupling between COP motion and tremor between 4 and 7 Hz for PD participants. These results highlight that the amplified tremor in PD can manifest itself in COP dynamics. This finding may have implications for postural stability for this patient group. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society [source]


Motor function and methylphenidate effect in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2010
Liv Larsen Stray
Abstract Aim:, Hyperactivity, impulsivity and poor attention are the core problems of ADHD and central stimulant medication is the preferred treatment. Many children with ADHD also display motor problems. The present study investigated the presence of motor problems in subjects who showed positive response to central stimulants on ADHD symptoms, compared with non-responders. Method:, This is a retrospective study of 73 children diagnosed ADHD, aged 5,17 years, who had been assessed with parts of the ,Motor Function Neurological Assessment' (MFNU) and evaluated with regard to effect of central stimulant medication. The sample was divided into two subgroups based on the responses to methylphenidate: Medicine responders and Non medicine responders. Results:, Stimulant responders showed significantly more motor problems than the non-responders on all sub-tests and on the total problem score of the MFNU. Motor problems were present both in younger (age 5,10 years) and older (11,17 years) stimulant responders. There were no gender differences in motor performance. Conclusion:, Our findings indicate that the probability of positive effect of central stimulants on core problems of ADHD is higher when motor problems are present in addition to ADHD symptoms, than when motor problems are absent. [source]


Motor skills in adolescents with low birthweight

CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2005
Richard Reading
Background Minor motor problems have been reported in low birthweight children, but few studies have assessed motor skills in adolescents. Objective To examine the prevalence of motor problems in adolescents with low birthweight. Methods Fifty-four very low birthweight (VLBW: birth weight ,1500 g), 59 term small for gestational age (SGA: birthweight <10th centile), and 83 control (birthweight ,10th centile at term) children were assessed with the movement assessment battery for children (Movement ABC) at the age of 14 in a population-based study. Results One in four VLBW children [odds ratio (OR) 9.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5,34.5] and one in six SGA children (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.2,18.4) had motor problems compared with controls (3.7%). There were no sex differences in motor problems in the VLBW group, and the increased risk was consistent across the continuum of the Movement ABC. For SGA children, the increased risk of motor problems was particularly in manual dexterity in boys. Conclusion VLBW and SGA adolescents have increased risk of motor problems compared with control children. [source]


Is paediatric assessment of motor development of very preterm and low-birthweight children appropriate?

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 10 2006
Martin J. K. DE Kleine
Abstract Aim: To determine whether paediatricians that examine, in regular clinical practice, very preterm and very-low-birthweight children at 5 y of age detect neurological impairments and functional motor problems in these children. Methods: We compared a paediatric judgement, a standardized neurological examination (Touwen examination) and a screening of motor development (Denver Developmental Screening Test; DDST) with the Movement ABC in 396 5-y-old very preterm and low-birthweight children. Results: The Movement ABC detected clinically important motor disorders in 20.5% and borderline disturbances in 22.5% of the children. Compared to the Movement ABC, the sensitivity of the paediatric judgement was 0.19, Touwen examination 0.62 and DDST 0.52; the negative predictive values were 0.61, 0.74 and 0.69, respectively. Conclusion: Paediatric assessment of motor development in 5-y-old very preterm and low-birthweight children generally is not sensitive enough to detect functional motor problems. The Movement ABC should be added to the assessment of the motor development of very preterm and low-birthweight children at 5 y of age. [source]


Child health services in transition: I. Theories, methods and launching

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 3 2005
C. SUNDELIN
Abstract Aim: To describe an evidence-based model for preventive child health care and present some findings from baseline measurements. Methods: The model includes: parent education; methods for interaction and language training; follow-up of low birthweight children; identification and treatment of postnatal depression, interaction difficulties, motor problems, parenthood stress, and psychosocial problems. After baseline measurements at 18 mo (cohort I), the intervention was tested on children from 0 to 18 mo at 18 child health centres in Uppsala County (cohort II). Eighteen centres in other counties served as controls. Two centres from a privileged area were included in the baseline measurements as a "contrasting" sample. Data are derived from health records and questionnaires to nurses and mothers. Results: Baseline experiment (n= 457) and control mothers (n= 510) were largely comparable in a number of respects. Experiment parents were of higher educational and occupational status, and were more frequently of non-Nordic ethnicity. Mothers in the privileged area (n= 72) differed from other mothers in several respects. Experiment nurses devoted considerably fewer hours per week to child health services and to child patients than did control nurses. Conclusions : Despite certain differences, experiment and control samples appeared comparable enough to permit, in a second step, conclusions about the effectiveness of the intervention. [source]