Lust Jessica M, van Schie Hein T, Wilson Peter H, van der Helden Jurjen, Pelzer Ben, Steenbergen Bert
Behavioural Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Centre for Disability and Development Research (CeDDR), School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2019 Jul 11;13:232. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00232. eCollection 2019.
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have difficulty performing and learning motor skills. Automatic activation of the mirror neuron system (MNS) during action observation and its coupling to the motor output system are important neurophysiological processes that underpin observational motor learning. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that MNS function is disrupted in children with DCD by using sensitive electroencephalography (EEG)-based measures of MNS activation during action observation. Specifically, we predicted reduced mu-suppression and coherence in DCD compared with typically developing children. Neural activation of the motor network was measured by EEG, specifically event-related desynchronization (ERD) of mu rhythms and fronto-parietal coherence. Children (15 DCD/15 controls) were tested under two task conditions: observational learning (imitation of an observed action) and detection (report a deviant movement after observation). EEG-metrics were compared between groups using linear mixed-effects models. As predicted, children with DCD showed lower levels of mu suppression and reduced modulation of coherence during the observational learning task compared with their non-DCD peers. Notably, mu suppression was reduced in DCD over the entire imitation task (repetitions, and both observation and pause intervals). Action observation can be used for the acquisition of new motor skills. This form of learning entails the transposition of the observed action to the existing internal representations of the observer's own motor system. The present neurophysiological results suggest that this process of learning is impaired in children with DCD. The results are discussed in relation to current hypotheses on mechanisms of DCD.
患有发育性协调障碍（DCD）的儿童在执行和学习运动技能方面存在困难。动作观察期间镜像神经元系统（MNS）的自动激活及其与运动输出系统的耦合是支持观察性运动学习的重要神经生理过程。在本研究中，我们通过在动作观察期间使用基于脑电图（EEG）的敏感测量方法来测试DCD儿童的MNS功能是否受损这一假设。具体而言，我们预测与发育正常的儿童相比，DCD儿童的μ波抑制和相干性会降低。通过脑电图测量运动网络的神经激活，特别是μ节律的事件相关去同步化（ERD）和额顶叶相干性。儿童（15名DCD儿童/15名对照组儿童）在两种任务条件下进行测试：观察性学习（模仿观察到的动作）和检测（观察后报告异常动作）。使用线性混合效应模型比较两组之间的脑电图指标。正如预测的那样，与非DCD同龄人相比，DCD儿童在观察性学习任务期间表现出较低水平的μ波抑制和相干性调制降低。值得注意的是，在整个模仿任务（重复以及观察和暂停间隔）中，DCD儿童的μ波抑制降低。动作观察可用于获取新的运动技能。这种学习形式需要将观察到的动作转换为观察者自身运动系统的现有内部表征。目前的神经生理学结果表明，DCD儿童的这种学习过程受到损害。结合当前关于DCD机制的假设对结果进行了讨论。
