Associated movements in 5- to 10-year-old infants

Objective: Associated movements are involuntary synchronous movements of one limb during voluntary movements of the opposite limb.

Aim: To provide a description of the development of associated movements in children, born at term. In addition, we were interested in the relationship between associated movements and minor neurological dysfunction (MND).

Method: A sample of 28 children (17 girls and 11 boys) were followed longitudinally from birth until the age of 10 years with special regard to their language, neuromotor and cognitive development. At 5, 6, 7 and 10 years, Touwen's neurological examination was performed and videoed. Associated movements were assessed from the video during finger-thumb opposition, diadochokinesis, walking on tiptoes and walking on heels. According to Hadders-Algra (2002) marked associated movements in at least 3/4 tasks result in a dysfunction of the cluster „associated movements“.

Results: A dysfunction in associated movements was found in 3 children at 5 years, in 6 children at 6 years, in 3 children at 7 years and in 3 children at 10 years. Interestingly, there was an age-related intra-individual variability. Only three children had a dysfunction in associated movements during two consecutive examinations: two children at 5 and 6 years, and one other child at 7 and 10 years. Hence, we did not find an age-related trend in associated movements (Wilcoxon test, n.s.), nor a relationship between sex and associated movements (Chi-square test, n.s.). However, we found a significant relation between marked associated movements and MND at 6 years (Pearson Chi-Square, p<0.001), and a similar trend at 7 and 10 years.

Conclusion: Associated movements underlie large intra- and interindividual variability. The occurrence of marked associated movements is related to MND.

FWF P19581-B02; Lanyar Foundation P325