Thesis title: Efficacia di un training ortottico nei bambini affetti da disturbo della coordinazione motoria: studio randomizzato controllato
Introduction: It is well known that children diagnosed with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
experience multiple difficulties in properly acquiring fine and gross motor skills. These skills are
influenced by the individual’s visuoperceptual, visuospatial, attentional, and oculomotor abilities.
However, despite the extensive evidence in the literature regarding the crucial role of visual alterations
in the genesis of DCD’s characteristic signs, no study has yet demonstrated the benefit of primary
treatment of such dysfunctions.
Study objective: Implementation of a rehabilitation protocol combining specific training of visual and
neuro-visual skills with traditional neuropsychomotor training to assess the possibility of an overall
improvement in the psychomotor profile of subjects with DCD.
Materials and Methods: The rehabilitation program consists of 10 sessions in which the case group
undergoes both visual training and neuropsychomotor training, while the control group receives only
neuropsychomotor training. Children with DCD were divided into “cases” and “controls” through
randomization performed by the project orthoptist, which remained concealed from patients and the
neuropsychomotor therapist. Children with epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, amblyopia, and strabismus
were excluded from the sample. The tests used for pre- and post-treatment evaluation were: Movement
Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2), Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI),
Neuropsychological Test of Apraxia for Developmental Age (TNA), Developmental Eye Movement
(DEM), MP-3 Microperimeter for fixation, near point of convergence, and fusional convergence
amplitude.
Results: Differences between cases and controls before and after treatment are significant for almost
all analyzed variables: manual dexterity, aiming and catching, balance, visuomotor integration, visual
perception, motor coordination, imitation of actions with and without objects, imitation of meaningful
gestures, improvement in reading times and the amount of horizontally and vertically presented stimuli
read, as well as convergence.
Conclusions: It is advisable to favor the type of treatment in which orthoptic training is combined with
traditional neuropsychomotor therapy to improve visuoperceptual, praxic, and communicative
performance in children with DCD.