Motor Skills DisordersDYSENSNCT05154799
Developmental Coordination Disorder
A study testing Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand grasp in people with Motor Skills Disorders and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) corresponds to a clumsiness, a slowness and an inaccuracy of motor performance. This neurodevelopmental disorder affects 6% of school-aged children, and disturbs daily life activities and academic performances. The etiology of DCD is still unknown. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 9 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Motor Skills Disorders, Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- What is being tested?
- Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand grasp
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 280 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 21 Dec 2021to 21 Jan 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 9 to 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Male or female
- Aged 9 to 11 or 18 to 40
- Affiliated to a health care organism
- Signed written informed consent (adult subjects)
- One of the legal guardians of children subjects providing their free, informed and written consent to participate in the study; With the child also giving orally his consent to participate.
- For participants with Developmental coordination disorder:
- Subjects fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for dyspraxia of DSM-5 (these criteria will be verified by the principal investigator)
- Total MABC-2 score below the 15th percentile (if this MABC-2 assessment is already available).
Who cannot join
- Prematurity
- Known neurological pathology (other than dyspraxia)
- Intellectual disability
- Visual impairment
- Surgery or trauma to the upper limbs that has occurred too recently to allow proper testing
- Subject under tutorship or curatorship
Show all 9Show fewer
- Subject deprived of liberty by a judicial or administrative decision
- For healthy volunteers only:
- History of developmental coordination disorder in close relatives (parents, children, siblings).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Equipe IMPACT du CRNL INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292
Bron, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 69676
Alessandro Farne, Dr, 4 72 91 34 17 ext. +33, alessandro.farne@inserm.fr
About this study
Official title: Developmental Coordination Disorder: Role of Perceptual Deficits and Body Representation
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) corresponds to a clumsiness, a slowness and an inaccuracy of motor performance. This neurodevelopmental disorder affects 6% of school-aged children, and disturbs daily life activities and academic performances. The etiology of DCD is still unknown. An understanding of this disorder is necessary to improve interventions and therefore quality of life of these people.
A deficit of the so-called internal models is the most commonly described hypothesis of DCD. Indeed, children with DCD exhibit difficulties in predictive control. Internal models, useful for motor control, are closely related to the sensory system, as they are elaborated on and constantly fed by sensory feedback. Deficits in sensory performance are described in DCD, mostly in the visual system, which could in turn partly explain poor motor performance. However, visuo-perceptual deficits cannot explain the entire motor difficulties because some activities in daily life, as buttoning a shirt, are often performed without visual control. Although the integrity of proprioceptive and tactile systems is necessary for the building of internal models, and therefore for a stable motor control, these sensory systems have been very little investigated in DCD.
Read more
Moreover, using a tool is often disturbed in children with DCD. In neurotypical subjects, tool use induces a plasticity of body representation, as reflected by modifications of movement kinematics after tool use. Proprioceptive abilities are necessary for this update of the body schema. Thus, potential deficits of the proprioceptive system in children with DCD could impair the plastic modification of the body schema, and hence of motor performance, when using a tool. The aim of this study is to identify the main cause of the DCD, both by evaluating the tactile and proprioceptive abilities and by assessing the body schema updating abilities in children with DCD.
While some daily life activities improve with age, some motor difficulties persist in adults with DCD. To our knowledge, perceptual abilities have never been investigated in adults with DCD and it is thus unknown whether perceptual deficits are still present in adulthood. This information could allow us to understand if motor difficulties in adult DCD are caused by enduring perceptual deficits and/or impaired plasticity of body schema. The second aim of this study is to evaluate abilities of perception and of body schema plasticity in adults with DCD.
- Being tested
- Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand grasp
- Keywords
- Healthy subject, Developmental coordination disorder
- Medical subject headings
- Motor Skills Disorders, Neurodevelopmental Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand graspBehavioural
In the first part of the study, the subject must designate a target in 2 ways: manual pointing or ocular saccadic response.
In the second part of the study the subject will have to reach and grasp a rectangular block of wood placed on the table at a distance of 35 cm. He will have to catch the wooden block, lift it a few centimeters and put it back on the table. Tool use and control phases: the subject grasps the wooden block with a tool or without the tool but with a weighted bracelet loading his wrist by the same amount as the tool.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Dyspraxic children | Experimental | Children with Developmental coordination disorder Receives: Behavioral: Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand grasp |
| Control children | Experimental | Healthy children Receives: Behavioral: Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand grasp |
| Dyspraxic adults | Experimental | Adults with with Developmental coordination disorder Receives: Behavioral: Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand grasp |
| Control adults | Experimental | Control adults Receives: Behavioral: Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand grasp |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Localization error distance
Difference in localization error distance between manual response and ocular response: measure in mm between the target and the response of the subject.
Task 1 : proprioceptive localization with manual response Task 2 : proprioceptive localization with ocular response Task 3: tactile localization with manual response Task 4: tactile localization with ocular response
In the 4 tests, we will measure the deviation (in mm) between the localization response of the subject and the reference point.
For tasks 1 and 2, the reference point is the position of the hidden index finger of the subject.
For tasks 3 and 4, the reference point is the position of the tactile stimulation applied to the hidden arm of the subject.
For the manual response, the subject must designate with his other index finger where he considers the target to be.
For the ocular saccadic response, the subject must shift his gaze and look where he considers the target to be.
Measured: At day 1
Secondary outcomes (5)
Reaction time of motor localization response
A difference between 'go signal' and initiation of localization motor responses (Tasks 1-4) measured in msec
Measured: At day 1
change related to tool-use of amplitude of velocity peak and the peak opening of the thumb-index grip of free reach-to-grasp limb movements
the subject will perform free reach-to-grasp limb movements before and after a tool-use phase (grasping a wooden block with a mechanical clamp) or a control phase (grasping the block without tool but with a bracelet loading the wrist by the same amount as the tool). For both tool-use and control conditions, the pre- versus post- difference of trajectory of free reach-to-grasp limb movements will be computed with amplitude in mm/sec of velocity peak and the peak opening of the thumb-index grip.
Measured: At day 1
change related to tool-use of latency of velocity peak and the peak opening of the thumb-index grip of free reach-to-grasp limb movements
the subject will perform free reach-to-grasp limb movements before and after a tool-use phase (grasping a wooden block with a mechanical clamp) or a control phase (grasping the block without tool but with a bracelet loading the wrist by the same amount as the tool). For both tool-use and control conditions, the pre- versus post- difference of trajectory of free reach-to-grasp limb movements will be computed with latency in msec of velocity peak and the peak opening of the thumb-index grip.
Measured: At day 1
change related to tool-use of acceleration peak of the upper limb of free reach-to-grasp limb movements
the subject will perform free reach-to-grasp limb movements before and after a tool-use phase (grasping a wooden block with a mechanical clamp) or a control phase (grasping the block without tool but with a bracelet loading the wrist by the same amount as the tool). For both tool-use and control conditions, the pre- versus post- difference of trajectory of free reach-to-grasp limb movements will be computed with acceleration peak in mm/sec2 of the upper limb.
Measured: At day 1
change related to tool-use of deceleration peak of the upper limb of free reach-to-grasp limb movements
the subject will perform free reach-to-grasp limb movements before and after a tool-use phase (grasping a wooden block with a mechanical clamp) or a control phase (grasping the block without tool but with a bracelet loading the wrist by the same amount as the tool). For both tool-use and control conditions, the pre- versus post- difference of trajectory of free reach-to-grasp limb movements will be computed with deceleration peak in mm/sec2 of the upper limb.
Measured: At day 1
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Dec 2021
- Study start21 Dec 2021
- Primary completion21 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion21 Jan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Motor Skills DisordersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Hospices Civils de LyonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 280 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de Lyon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Denis PELISSON, Dr, Principal investigator, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05154799
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 69HCL21_0338
- Acronym
- DYSENS
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Jul 2021
- Last updated
- 16 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Developmental Coordination Disorder: Role of Perceptual Deficits and Body Representation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05154799
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- DYSENS / 69HCL21_0338
- Keywords
- Healthy subject, Developmental coordination disorder
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 280 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de LyonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 21 Dec 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 21 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 21 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Dec 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) corresponds to a clumsiness, a slowness and an inaccuracy of motor performance. This neurodevelopmental disorder affects 6% of school-aged children, and disturbs daily life activities and academic performances. The etiology of DCD is still unknown. An understanding of this disorder is necessary to improve interventions and therefore quality of life of these people.
A deficit of the so-called internal models is the most commonly described hypothesis of DCD. Indeed, children with DCD exhibit difficulties in predictive control. Internal models, useful for motor control, are closely related to the sensory system, as they are elaborated on and constantly fed by sensory feedback. Deficits in sensory performance are described in DCD, mostly in the visual system, which could in turn partly explain poor motor performance. However, visuo-perceptual deficits cannot explain the entire motor difficulties because some activities in daily life, as buttoning a shirt, are often performed without visual control. Although the integrity of proprioceptive and tactile systems is necessary for the building of internal models, and therefore for a stable motor control, these sensory systems have been very little investigated in DCD.
Moreover, using a tool is often disturbed in children with DCD. In neurotypical subjects, tool use induces a plasticity of body representation, as reflected by modifications of movement kinematics after tool use. Proprioceptive abilities are necessary for this update of the body schema. Thus, potential deficits of the proprioceptive system in children with DCD could impair the plastic modification of the body schema, and hence of motor performance, when using a tool. The aim of this study is to identify the main cause of the DCD, both by evaluating the tactile and proprioceptive abilities and by assessing the body schema updating abilities in children with DCD.
While some daily life activities improve with age, some motor difficulties persist in adults with DCD. To our knowledge, perceptual abilities have never been investigated in adults with DCD and it is thus unknown whether perceptual deficits are still present in adulthood. This information could allow us to understand if motor difficulties in adult DCD are caused by enduring perceptual deficits and/or impaired plasticity of body schema. The second aim of this study is to evaluate abilities of perception and of body schema plasticity in adults with DCD.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Dyspraxic children | Experimental | Behavioral: Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand graspChildren with Developmental coordination disorder |
| Control children | Experimental | Behavioral: Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand graspHealthy children |
| Dyspraxic adults | Experimental | Behavioral: Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand graspAdults with with Developmental coordination disorder |
| Control adults | Experimental | Behavioral: Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand graspControl adults |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 9 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Male or female
- Aged 9 to 11 or 18 to 40
- Affiliated to a health care organism
- Signed written informed consent (adult subjects)
- One of the legal guardians of children subjects providing their free, informed and written consent to participate in the study; With the child also giving orally his consent to participate.
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Prematurity
- Known neurological pathology (other than dyspraxia)
- Intellectual disability
- Visual impairment
- Surgery or trauma to the upper limbs that has occurred too recently to allow proper testing
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand graspIn the first part of the study, the subject must designate a target in 2 ways: manual pointing or ocular saccadic response. In the second part of the study the subject will have to reach and grasp a rectangular block of wood placed on the table at a distance of 35 cm. He will have to catch the wooden block, lift it a few centimeters and put it back on the table. Tool use and control phases: the subject grasps the wooden block with a tool or without the tool but with a weighted bracelet loading his wrist by the same amount as the tool. | Behavioural | Control adults, Control children, Dyspraxic adults, Dyspraxic children |
Primary outcome
Localization error distance
Time frame: At day 1
Difference in localization error distance between manual response and ocular response: measure in mm between the target and the response of the subject. Task 1 : proprioceptive localization with manual response Task 2 : proprioceptive localization with ocular response Task 3: tactile localization with manual response Task 4: tactile localization with ocular response In the 4 tests, we will measure the deviation (in mm) between the localization response of the subject and the reference point. For tasks 1 and 2, the reference point is the position of the hidden index finger of the subject. For tasks 3 and 4, the reference point is the position of the tactile stimulation applied to the hidden arm of the subject. For the manual response, the subject must designate with his other index finger where he considers the target to be. For the ocular saccadic response, the subject must shift his gaze and look where he considers the target to be.
5 secondary outcomes
Reaction time of motor localization response
Time frame: At day 1
change related to tool-use of amplitude of velocity peak and the peak opening of the thumb-index grip of free reach-to-grasp limb movements
Time frame: At day 1
change related to tool-use of latency of velocity peak and the peak opening of the thumb-index grip of free reach-to-grasp limb movements
Time frame: At day 1
change related to tool-use of acceleration peak of the upper limb of free reach-to-grasp limb movements
Time frame: At day 1
change related to tool-use of deceleration peak of the upper limb of free reach-to-grasp limb movements
Time frame: At day 1
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jan 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Denis PELISSON, Dr principal investigator
Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Proprioception and tactile localization with manual or ocular response and/or free hand grasp in people with Motor Skills Disorders and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Alessandro FARNE, Dr (4 72 91 34 17 ext. +33, alessandro.farne@inserm.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Localization error distance (time frame: At day 1). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jan 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 27 Oct 2026.