Research article summary (published 30 Aug 2009):

Associations of postural knowledge and basic motor skill with dyspraxia in autism: implication for abnormalities in distributed connectivity and motor learning.

Full Abstract

Children with autism often have difficulty performing skilled movements. Praxis performance requires basic motor skill, knowledge of representations of the movement (mediated by parietal regions), and transcoding of these representations into movement plans (mediated by premotor circuits). The goals of this study were (a) to determine whether dyspraxia in autism is associated with impaired representational ("postural") knowledge and (b) to examine the contributions of postural knowledge and basic motor skill to dyspraxia in autism. Thirty-seven children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 50 typically developing (TD) children, ages 8-13, completed (a) an examination of basic motor skills, (b) a postural knowledge test assessing praxis discrimination, and (c) a praxis examination. Children with ASD showed worse basic motor skill and postural knowledge than did controls. The ASD group continued to show significantly poorer praxis than did controls after accounting for age, IQ, basic motor skill, and postural knowledge. Dyspraxia in autism appears to be associated with impaired formation of spatial representations, as well as transcoding and execution. Distributed abnormality across parietal, premotor, and motor circuitry, as well as anomalous connectivity, may be implicated.

Author information

Author/s: Dowell, Lauren R (LR); Mahone, E Mark (EM); Mostofsky, Stewart H (SH);

Affiliation: Laboratory for Neurocognitive and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Grants: HD-24061 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; K02 NS044850-05 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; P30 HD024061-22 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; P50 HD052121-016297 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; R01 NS048527-04 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; R01 NS048527-05 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; UL1 RR025005-03 (Agency:NCRR NIH HHS) ; UL1-RR025005 (Agency:NCRR NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neuropsychology (Neuropsychology), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 23 (issue 5) : pp 563-70

Dates: Created 2009/08/25; Completed 2009/10/16;

PMID: 19702410, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/16/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Analysis of Variance Apraxias - etiology Association Autistic Disorder - complications Child Female Humans

Humans Male Motor Skills - physiology Movement - physiology Neuropsychological Tests Posture - physiology Predictive Value of Tests Recognition (Psychology) - physiology

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