Fariba Jazini; Mahmood Sheikh
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of transcranial direct electrical stimulation (tDCS) of the visual cortex on the acquisition and persistence of motor performance and working memory in children with developmental coordination disorders. In semi-experimental study with pre-test-post-test ...
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The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of transcranial direct electrical stimulation (tDCS) of the visual cortex on the acquisition and persistence of motor performance and working memory in children with developmental coordination disorders. In semi-experimental study with pre-test-post-test research plan and follow-up period of 1 and 42 days, 24 children with developmental coordination disorder were randomly selected, and randomly assigned to 2 groups of 12 tDCS visual cortex and sham stimulation. Participants in the pre-test performed 3 working memory tests and 10 throwing and catching skills. The intervention phase was performed for 5 consecutive days. Each day, electrical stimulation of the brain from the visual cortex (Oz anode and Cz cathode) and sham stimulation was performed. Participants performed 3 working memory tests and 10 throwing and catching skills. In the last session, post-test phase was performed. 1 day and 42 days after the post-test phase, short-term and long-term follow-up phases were performed, respectively. Data were analyzed with mixed analysis. The results showed that tDCS of the visual cortex significantly improved working memory and motor performance in children with developmental coordination disorders. Other results indicated the persistence of working memory and motor performance in children with developmental coordination disorders in short-term and long-term follow-up tests. In general, the results of the present study emphasize the effectiveness of tDCS in the vision area on motor performance and working memory in DCD children.
