Reynolds Jess E, Licari Melissa K, Reid Siobhan L, Elliott Catherine, Winsor Anne M, Bynevelt Michael, Billington Jac
School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Australia.
School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Int J Dev Neurosci. 2017 May;58:59-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.01.008. Epub 2017 Jan 21.
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a prevalent childhood movement disorder, impacting the ability to perform movement skills at an age appropriate level. Although differences in grey matter (GM) volumes have been found in related developmental disorders, no such evidence has been linked with DCD to date. This cross-sectional study assessed structural brain differences in children with and without DCD.
High-resolution structural images were acquired from 44 children aged 7.8-12 years, including 22 children with DCD (≤16th percentile on MABC-2; no ADHD/ASD), and 22 typically developing controls (≥20th percentile on MABC-2). Structural voxel-based morphology analysis was performed to determine group differences in focal GM volumes.
Children with DCD were found to have significant, large, right lateralised reductions in grey matter volume in the medial and middle frontal, and superior frontal gyri compared to controls. The addition of motor proficiency as a covariate explained the between-group GM volume differences, suggesting that GM volumes in motor regions are reflective of the level of motor proficiency. A positive correlation between motor proficiency and relative GM volume was also identified in the left posterior cingulate and precuneus.
GM volume reductions in premotor frontal regions may underlie the motor difficulties characteristic of DCD. It is possible that intervention approaches targeting motor planning, attention, and executive functioning processes associated with the regions of reduced GM volume may result in functional improvements in children with DCD.
发育性协调障碍（DCD）是一种常见的儿童运动障碍，影响儿童在适龄水平上执行运动技能的能力。尽管在相关发育障碍中已发现灰质（GM）体积存在差异，但迄今为止，尚无此类证据与DCD相关联。本横断面研究评估了患有和未患有DCD的儿童的脑结构差异。
从44名7.8 - 12岁的儿童中获取高分辨率结构图像，其中包括22名患有DCD的儿童（MABC - 2得分≤第16百分位数；无注意力缺陷多动障碍/自闭症谱系障碍），以及22名发育正常的对照儿童（MABC - 2得分≥第20百分位数）。进行基于体素的结构形态分析以确定局部GM体积的组间差异。
与对照组相比，发现患有DCD的儿童在内侧和中部额叶以及额上回的灰质体积显著、大幅减少，且右侧更为明显。将运动熟练度作为协变量纳入分析后，解释了组间GM体积差异，这表明运动区域的GM体积反映了运动熟练度水平。在左侧后扣带回和楔前叶中还发现运动熟练度与相对GM体积之间存在正相关。
运动前区额叶区域的GM体积减少可能是DCD运动困难的基础。针对与GM体积减少区域相关的运动计划、注意力和执行功能过程的干预方法，有可能改善患有DCD儿童的功能。
