Computer task performance by subjects with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

• Grant number: 15/19361-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Scientific article
• Start date: November 01, 2015
• End date: April 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Bandeira de Mello Monteiro
• Grantee: Carlos Bandeira de Mello Monteiro
• Host Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

AbstractAims: Two specific objectives were established to quantify computer task performance among people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). First,we compared simple computational task performance between subjects with DMD and age-matched typically developing (TD) subjects. Secondly, weexamined correlations between the ability of subjects with DMD to learn the computational task and their motor functionality, age, and initial task performance. Method: The study included 84 individuals (42 with DMD, mean age of 18 ± 5.5 years, and 42 age-matched controls). They executed a computer maze task; all participants performed the acquisition (20 attempts) and retention (5 attempts) phases, repeating the same maze. A different maze was used to verify transfer performance (5 attempts). The Motor Function Measure (MFM) Scale was applied, and the results were compared with maze task performance. Results: In the acquisition phase, a significant decrease was found in movement time (MT) between the first and last acquisition block, but only for the DMD group. For the DMD group, MT during transfer was shorter than during the first acquisition block, indicating improvement from the first acquisition block to transfer. In addition, the TD group showed shorter MT thanthe DMD group across the study. Conclusions: DMD participants improved their performance after practicing a computational task; however, the difference in MT was present in all attempts among DMD and control subjects. Computational task improvement was positively influenced by the initial performance of individuals with DMD. In turn, the initial performance was influenced by their distal functionality but not their age or overall functionality. (AU)