Approach to motor clumsiness in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorder through the body-specific attention

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K11229
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Kyoiku University
• Principal Investigator: Oouchida Yutaka 大阪教育大学, 教育学部, 教授 (80510578)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 運動の不器用さ / 発達障害 / 身体特異性注意

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was conducted to elucidate the mechanisms by which motor clumsiness, frequently comorbid with developmental and intellectual disabilities, arises. We conceptualized motor clumsiness as a state in which individuals are unable to move their bodies as intended and hypothesized that the self-body image in the brain does not accurately reflect the actual body. Therefore, focusing on body-specific attention, which reflects the self-body image in the brain, we measured body-specific attention in children with developmental and intellectual disabilities who exhibit clumsiness. The results showed significant individual differences, making it challenging to capture an overall trend. However, children with mild disabilities tended to exhibit decreased body-specific attention. To broadly apply this to children with developmental and intellectual disabilities, further refinement of the tasks is necessary.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

発達障害にみられる運動の不器用さは、ADHD、ASD、LDなどと非常に高率で併発する。また、運動の不器用さは、比較的発達の早い段階から見ることが出来る症状であることから、発達段階早期から発達障害を検出するための重要な手がかりとなる。運動の不器用さのある児童は、日常生活において他の児童が出来ている作業をすることが出来ないことを多々経験する。そのため、自己効率感において低い子どもが多く、二次的に精神・情緒障害を引き起こす可能性もある。これらのことから、運動の不器用さが脳内の身体表現と関係している傾向が示唆されたことは、発達障害の早期検出と二次的障害の予防に貢献することが出来ると考えられる。