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The Relative Kicking Frequency of Infants Born Full-term and Preterm During Learning and Short-term and Long-term Memory Periods of the Mobile Paradigm

JC Heathcock, PT, MPT, is Physical Therapist, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, Del, and a doctoral student in the Biomechanics and Movement Science Program, Department of Biomechanics and Movement Science, University of Delaware. This study was conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Ms Heathcock's master's thesis at the University of Delaware
AN Bhat, PT, MSc, is Physical Therapist, Department of Physical Therapy, and a doctoral student in the Biomechanics and Movement Science Program, Department of Biomechanics and Movement Science, University of Delaware
MA Lobo, PT, MPT, is Physical Therapist, Department of Physical Therapy, and a doctoral student in the Biomechanics and Movement Science Program, Department of Biomechanics and Movement Science, University of Delaware
JC Galloway, PT, PhD, is Physical Therapist and Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Biomechanics and Movement Science Program, University of Delaware

Address all correspondence to Dr Galloway at University of Delaware, 301 McKinly Lab, Newark, DE 19716 (USA) (jacgallo{at}udel.edu)

Background and Purpose. Infants born preterm differ in their spontaneous kicking, as well as their learning and memory abilities in the mobile paradigm, compared with infants born full-term. In the mobile paradigm, a supine infant's ankle is tethered to a mobile so that leg kicks cause a proportional amount of mobile movement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative kicking frequency of the tethered (right) and nontethered (left) legs in these 2 groups of infants. Subjects. Ten infants born full-term and 10 infants born preterm (<33 weeks gestational age, <2,500 g) and 10 comparison infants participated in the study. Methods. The relative kicking frequencies of the tethered and nontethered legs were analyzed during learning and short-term and long-term memory periods of the mobile paradigm. Results. Infants born full-term showed an increase in the relative kicking frequency of the tethered leg during the learning period and the short-term memory period but not for the long-term memory period. Infants born preterm did not show a change in kicking pattern for learning or memory periods, and consistently kicked both legs in relatively equal amounts. Discussion and Conclusion. Infants born full-term adapted their baseline kicking frequencies in a task-specific manner to move the mobile and then retained this adaptation for the short-term memory period. In contrast, infants born preterm showed no adaptation, suggesting a lack of purposeful leg control. This lack of control may reflect a general decrease in the ability of infants born preterm to use their limb movements to interact with their environment. As such, the mobile paradigm may be clinically useful in the early assessment and intervention of infants born preterm and at risk for future impairment.

Key Words: Kicking • Motor control • Motor development • Motor learning • Premature infant

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. C Heathcock, M. Lobo, and J. C Galloway Movement Training Advances the Emergence of Reaching in Infants Born at Less Than 33 Weeks of Gestational Age: A Randomized Clinical Trial Physical Therapy, March 1, 2008; 88(3): 310 - 322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]