Relationship between developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and executive functions in children

Abstract

Introduction: Children with Developmental Disorder of Coordination (DCD) have motor difficulties that prevent the adequate accomplishment of tasks of daily life, in comparison to their typical pairs. Executive Functions are interrelated higher brain skills that favor the development of complex strategies, intentional, goal-directed, and future-oriented actions or behaviors. It is possible that the motor difficulty of children with DCD affects the performance of their executive functions. Objectives: Review studies that investigate the interface between DCD and executive functions in children. Method: Integrative literature review study carried out from Medline databases, using PubMed (US National Library of Medicine), and VHL–Lilacs (Virtual Health Library–Latin American Literature and Caribbean in Health Sciences), without restriction of date and language. Inclusion criteria were: studies comparing the performance of children with DCD and children with typical development in executive function tests, studies available in full and in Portuguese, English or Spanish. Results: The executive functions analyzed by the selected articles were predictive control, inhibitory control, planning, verbal fluency, exchange capacity, working memory, cognitive flexibility, attention, and reaction time. All studies showed that children with DCD underperformed children with typical development in most of these executive functions. Conclusion: The results of this review show that not only the motor deficit reflects negatively on the performance and participation of the child with DCD, but also the executive functions, and, therefore, should be considered in the treatment plan of Occupational Therapy professionals.