A Kinematic Analysis of Motor Planning and Movement Execution of Children With Autism Spectrum Condition

Last updated: November 17, 2023
Sponsor: Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

N/A

Condition

Autism

Asperger's Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd)

Treatment

Kinematics measures

Clinical Study ID

NCT06144775
CNR-IRIB-PRO-2023-004
  • Ages 7-13
  • All Genders
  • Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Summary

Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a behavioral syndrome characterized by a severe organizational disorder of thinking and major functions that regulate human adaptation. It is to be considered as a functional disorder, or of executive functions, whose dysfunction is expressed in the difficulty of making voluntary movements, sequentially coordinated with each other according to a purpose, and of initiating an action, planning and monitoring it by inhibiting inappropriate responses such as gesture perseveration. Literature studies suggest that, compared to children with typical development (TD) and regardless of cognitive status, children with ASC have pervasive motor dysfunction that results in universal difficulties in several aspects of motor function, including - (1) fine motricity, (2) some aspects of praxis while performing tasks based on imitation of sequences, (3) simultaneous coordination of both sides of the body during rhythmic tasks of the upper limbs, and́ (4) interpersonal coordination and synchrony. The hypothesis of the study is that by comparing these aspects in 2 groups of children with ASC and children with TD using A.I. systems, it will be possible to extract objective markers of motor deficits found in autism, facilitating the validation of measurements acquired with clinical scales. The objective of the study is to investigate the characteristics of manual motor planning and performance difficulties in children with ASC using kinematic measurements. 30 ASC children with medium-high functioning and 30 TD children, aged 7 to 13 years, IQ > 80, in the absence of motor deficits due to another clinical condition, will be recruited. The protocol will take place in a single session during which children will be video-recorded performing simple and complex rhythmic upper limb actions with a social partner. The presence of characteristic fine motor behaviors, practice errors, perseverations, movement variability, and interpersonal synchrony will be observed. The study will involve the use of 3 tasks contained in NEPSY-II: Finger tapping, Visual-motor precision, and Imitation of manual motor sequences. The videos will be recorded simultaneously and the different angles will allow hand kinematics to be extracted and analyzed with A.I. algorithms to measure displacement, velocity, acceleration, frequency and any other kinematic parameters highlighted. Thus, it is expected to identify objective markers of motor deficits found in children with ASC.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of Autism
  • QI ≥ 80.

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Motor deficits due to another clinical condition

Study Design

Total Participants: 60
Treatment Group(s): 1
Primary Treatment: Kinematics measures
Phase:
Study Start date:
October 01, 2022
Estimated Completion Date:
March 31, 2025

Connect with a study center

  • Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB) - National Research Council (CNR)

    Messina, 98164
    Italy

    Active - Recruiting

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