Citation

Cairney J, Veldhuizen S, Szatmari P. Curr. Opin. Psychiatry 2010; 23(4): 324-329.

Affiliation

Offord Centre for Child Studies and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Canada; Department of Family Medicine and CanChild, Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/YCO.0b013e32833aa0aa

PMID

20520549

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize recent research on developmental coordination disorder (DCD), with particular attention to comorbidity and related questions of etiology. RECENT FINDINGS: Although a general consensus on the disorder definition exists, case identification in research studies remains problematic. Despite this, recent research has reported high levels of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and internalizing disorders among children with poor motor coordination. These findings offer some support for the longstanding view that DCD may be one facet of a broader syndrome that includes learning difficulties and deficits in attention. 'Pure' cases are common, however, and other work suggests that DCD and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder have distinct causes. There is also some evidence that internalizing disorder may be a consequence of DCD. SUMMARY: Measurement issues in DCD persist, whereas findings on comorbidity have both illuminated the nature of the disorder and heightened debate on its usefulness as a distinct diagnostic entity.

Language: en