Motor-based interventions for brain structure and function in children with developmental coordination disorder: A systematic review.

AIM: To synthesize evidence on the effects of a motor-based intervention on the brain in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and to determine the impact of the different motor-based interventions on the stages of motor learning.

METHOD: For this systematic review, three databases were searched by two independent reviewers. Studies were included if they involved (1) children with (probable) DCD (3-18 years), (2) long-term motor-based interventions, and (3) at least one brain imaging outcome. Two independent reviewers assessed risk of bias (RoB2 and ROBINS-I V2) and evaluated the quality of evidence (GRADE).

RESULTS

Seven articles met the selection criteria. Risk of bias ranged from some to moderate (n = 4), to high (n = 3). Various imaging techniques (e.g. functional near-infrared spectroscopy), outcome measures (e.g. oxyhaemoglobin), and regions of interest (e.g. fronto-parietal network) were investigated in the included studies. Despite the neuroplastic changes exhibited by children with DCD post-intervention, the direction and pattern differed from typically developing peers. Increased functional connectivity after intervention was observed in attentional regions, suggesting compensatory mechanisms. The interventions focused on the cognitive (n = 4) and associative (n = 3) stages of motor learning. None of the interventions addressed the autonomous stage.

INTERPRETATION: Current evidence tentatively indicates that children with DCD can exhibit intervention-induced neuroplasticity, facilitating motor skill learning. These changes differ from typically developing profiles and therefore seem to reflect compensatory mechanisms. Further research is critical to better understand these differential patterns, essential for interpreting neuroplastic changes to tailor future motor-based therapies.