Limited motor performance and minor neurological dysfunction at school age.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between motor performance and minor neurological dysfunction (MND) at school age.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty-three children (158 boys, 95 girls; mean age 8 years and 7 months) of whom 167 children received mainstream education and 86 children special education were neurologically examined according to Touwen. Special attention was paid to the severity of MND (simple or complex form) and type of dysfunction. Motor performance was assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC), a parental questionnaire (Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire; DCD-Q) and a teacher's questionnaire (Motor Observation Questionnaire for Teachers; MOQ-T).

Results: Total scores of MABC, DCD-Q and MOQ-T were strongly related to the severity of MND and to dysfunctional coordination and fine manipulation. Mild dysfunction in posture and muscle tone was only weakly related to limited motor performance. Children with a MABC score < 5th percentile showed significantly more often complex MND than children with scores between the 5th and 15th percentile or >15th percentile (54% vs 17% and 10%).

Conclusion: Limited motor performance is related to the severity and type of MND. Coordination problems and fine manipulative disability are strongly related to poor motor performance, mild dysfunctions of posture and muscle tone to a lesser extent.