Motor Control Development Extends Longer than Previously Thought

A new study shows how motor control continues to develop over a longer period than previously thought. 

Researchers note that this study information opens up the potential to use therapy that could continue improving the motor skills of children suffering from neruodevelopmental disorders, including cerebral palsy, which affects nearly 764,000 children and adults nationwide, according to background information via the study.

"These findings show that it's not only possible but critical to continue or begin physical therapy in adolescence," said Francisco Valero-Cuevas, the lead study author, via a press release. "We find we likely do not have a narrow window of opportunity in early childhood to improve manipulation skills, as previously believed, but rather developmental plasticity lasts much longer and provides opportunity throughout adolescence" he said. "This complements similarly exciting findings showing brain plasticity in adulthood and old age."

Researchers have previously been able to detect improvements regarding fine motor control of the hand only until around ages eight to 10. However, their research has allowed them to invent a tool that can more precisely measure this function. 

The tool is easy to use and shows varying stiffness and length sets between plastic pads that have been patented by the research team. Motor skill is then determined by an individual's ability to compress spring devices that change their level of strength.  

The researchers tested 130 children with typical development between four and 16 years of age, looking at the continuation and development of motor skills.

The study concludes the following research, via a press release: "To further this study, Dayanidhi and Valero-Cuevas joined forces with Assistant Professor of biokinesiology and physical therapy Jason Kutch (also of USC), to explore if this longer developmental timeline for dexterity was tied not just to brain maturation, but also to muscular development.

"It has long been thought that improved dexterity involved only brain development and muscle growth- where muscles only got bigger and stronger, but did not add to dexterous skills since they are performed at low forces. The research by Dayanidhi, Kutch and Valero-Cuevas indicates otherwise."

"Combining our metrics of dexterity from Dayanidhi's PhD work, with novel and noninvasive measures of muscle contraction time developed by Prof. Kutch, we were able to show a previously unknown strong association between gains in dexterity with improvement in low force muscle contraction time," said Valero-Cuevas, via the release.

More information regarding the study can be found via the Journal of Neurophysiology.