Case Study: Motor Imagery Training Improves Force Control in a Young Female with Developmental Coordination Disorder

In older and young females, motor imagery training improves force steadiness, a measure related to functional performance. Individuals with developmental coordination disorder may experience functional deficits which can result in difficulties performing tasks of daily living. Improving force steadiness in individuals with developmental coordination disorder could lead to improvements in functional performance. It is unknown if motor imagery training will improve force steadiness in young females with developmental coordination disorder. A young female aged nineteen volunteered for an experiment and disclosed developmental coordination disorder. Subsequently, this participant was compared to older (n=7) and young (n=11) females without developmental coordination disorder. Participants completed a block design. Blocks 1,3,5 included seven elbow flexion force tracking tasks at 10% maximal voluntary contraction. Blocks 2 and 4 included motor imagery training of the force tracking tasks. Corticospinal excitability was recorded within the last 5 seconds of each tracking task in blocks 1,3, and 5. Force steadiness improved across blocks in the female with development coordination disorder similar to older females and corticospinal excitability increased unlike older and young females. The results of this case study highlight motor imagery training could be a beneficial modality for young females with developmental coordination disorder. Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 108views 64downloads Citations Download citation Calkins Calkins, Sarah Kraeutner, jennifer jakobi. Case Study: Motor Imagery Training Improves Force Control in a Young Female with Developmental Coordination Disorder. Authorea. 05 August 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175438122.29738106/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175438122.29738106/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.