Motor and cognitive dual-task performance under low and high task complexity in children with developmental coordination disorder

Abstract: Background: In everyday life, tasks are often performed simultaneously, which may be more difficult for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) than their peers. Aims: To examine (1) the effects of task complexity and type of concurrent task on dual-task performance in children with and without DCD; and (2) if the amount of effort that children put into the task performance differs between the groups. Methods: Participants were 64 children with and without DCD (aged 7–14 years). The dual-task paradigm consisted of a manual dexterity task of relatively low complexity (box and block test) or relatively high complexity (pegboard task), and a concurrent motor task (cycling task) or a concurrent cognitive task (word-listening task). To assess mental effort, children were asked how tired they felt before and after the experiment. Results: Dual-task interference was highest when the manual dexterity task of relatively high complexity was combined with the concurrent motor task. There were no group differences in dual-task interference, but children with DCD reported a larger increase in the level of tiredness after the experiment indicative of greater mental effort. Conclusions: Depending on task demands, children with DCD are able to perform dual-tasks at the same level as their peers, but performance may take children with DCD more mental effort.