Cognitive control of saccadic eye movements in children with developmental coordination disorder

The ability to prepare and execute a movement in response to advance information requires cognitive control of behaviour (e.g., attention control and prediction). Our aim was to explore the integrity of forward models in eye movement control and examine the ability of children with DCD and typically developing children (TD) (8-12 yrs) to plan and inhibit their saccadic responses (i.e., the inhibition and anticipation mechanisms involved in attention control). Eye movements and touch responses were measured (separately and concurrently during coordination) in Cued and Non-Cued conditions. Children with DCD showed normal saccadic kinematics, including saccade initiation. Cue information decreased movement duration in both groups but touch accuracy was worse in the DCD group. Children with DCD exhibited increased inhibitory errors and inaccurate fixation in the Cued trials. Children with DCD seem proficient in executing saccades, but show deficits in more complex processing such as inhibition. The lack of inhibitory control had a direct impact on the allocation of visual attention and hindered the motor program compared to TD controls. Saccadic control and attentional deficits (lack of inhibition) may explain why internal models needed for motor programming are compromised. These findings have implications for theories regarding the aetiology of DCD.