The development of two-limb and four-limb coordination

Jessica M Seaman, Purdue University

Abstract

Producing stable multilimb coordination is an essential developmental milestone that occurs during childhood. Past research has determined that after the first decade of life, children are able to produce simple (i.e. in-phase) two-limb coordinated movements at adult-levels (Wolff et al., 1998; Cavallari et al., 2001). Additionally, two-limb contralateral coordination has been found to be more stable than ipsilateral coordination (Volman et al., 2006; Hiraga et al., 2004; Kelso & Jeka, 1992). Although both hands and feet are often used in activities of daily life, little research has examined the development of four-limb coordination. The present study examines the developmental time course of two- and four-limb coordination during a hand-foot tapping task. The second aim of this study was to investigate differences between ispilateral and contralateral coordination from a developmental perspective. In the current study, children (age 7 and 10) and adults performed various two- and four-limb tapping patterns with their hands and feet at a preferred frequency. Variability of continuous relative phase was used to measure coordination stability. In the two-limb patterns, only anti-phase movements were performed at adult-levels by 10-years of age. Furthermore, two-limb contralateral coordination appeared to be more stable than ipsilateral coordination by the age of 10. In the four-limb patterns, children were not able to coordinate their hands and feet as well as adults, but coordination stability increased with age. Additionally, patterns that displayed front-hind symmetry (i.e. jump and pace) were more stable than those that did not. These results indicate that the anti-phase attractor seems to develop sooner than the in-phase attractor. Also, it appears that two-limb coordination begins to develop during the first decade of life, while four-limb coordination develops well into the second decade of life.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Haddad, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Developmental biology

COinS