An EEG study of mental rotation-related negativity in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

This study presents preliminary electroencephalogram (EEG) data of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) who executed a mental hand rotation paradigm similar to that described by Wilson and colleagues, who sought to test whether children with DCD have difficulties generating an accurate internal model of an intended action. Behavioural, neurological and neuro-imaging (positron emission tomography) data suggest that hand rotation is a valid and reliable probe to investigate motor imagery. Motor imagery is the ability to mentally simulate the movement of a limb. Motor imagery tasks may be used to measure deficiencies in the ability to generate an accurate internal representation (or internal model) of an intended movement; the internal model is open to conscious awareness through imagery while execution of the overt movement plan has been inhibited. Motor imagery is thus an excellent means by which the structure of movement representations can be investigated.