2023 Volume 47 Issue 1 Pages 1-12
Motor clumsiness, as typified by Developmental Motor Coordination Disorder (DCD), is also associated with weak mimetic function known as characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the neurophysiological basis of which is the mirror neuron system. Its activity is reflected by mu frequency over sensorimotor cortex among EEG oscillations, and mu power is reduced (mu suppression) during actual movement, observed movement, and imagined movement. In this study, mu rhythm was measured in 29 typically developing adults during (1) movement execution, (2) movement observation of others, (3) movement observation of objects, and (4) watching random dot pattern with metronome sound, and analyzed in relation to ASD and DCD tendencies. As a result, both weaker ASD tendency group and weaker DCD tendency group showed more mu suppression during movement execution and movement observation. These results suggests that the activity of the mirror neuron system is affected by tendency of ASD and of DCD, and take a charge of common background for clumsiness in both ASD and DCD.
