Browsing by Author "Mäntylä, Tuuli"

Objectives: Developmental coordination disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder with challenges in motor function, coordination, and balance. The etiology behind this disorder is still partly unknown. There has been a small number of studies made on the associations between developmental coordination disorder and brain structure and the results do not systematically reoccur. Thus, there is a need for more studies on the subject. In this study the objective was to examine the associations between probable developmental coordination disorder and cerebellum structure. Hypothesis was that there is a difference found between the study group and the control group in the volume of the cerebellum and that the volume is smaller in the probable developmental coordination disorder group. Methods: The present study’s data is from a prospective longitudinal cohort. The sample consisted of 295 participants of whom 22 had probable developmental coordination disorder. Motor function was assessed at the age of 9 with the Test of Motor Impairment, which was used to divide the participants in the probable developmental coordination disorder group and in the no developmental coordination disorder group. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was completed at the age of 40. Cerebellum volumes were estimated using the software Ceres VolBrain. In the statistical analysis multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of variance were used. Results and conclusion: Probable developmental coordination disorder was not associated with the total volume of the cerebellum. However, there was a statistically significant association found with the volume of the cerebellum lobules III and V. In these lobules the volumes were smaller in the probable developmental coordination disorder group. The cerebellum is likely organized in a way that the areas behind motor function (lobules I–V) are different from the areas behind regulation of cognition (lobules VI– IX), possibly explaining the results of this study. The results indicate that developmental coordination disorder may occur in the structural level of the brain and provide information about the possible mechanisms behind the disorder. The present study provides a base for further studies to advance knowledge on the mechanisms behind developmental coordination disorder.