Effect of coordination exercises on hand function in children with developmental coordination disorders: A Systematic Review Effect of coordination exercises on hand functions in DCD
Iranian Journal of Child Neurology,
Vol. 20 No. 3 (2026),
1 June 2026
,
Page 1-11
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijcn.v20i3.46245
Abstract
Objective: Developmental Coordination Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting approximately 5-6% of school-aged children, characterized by significant impairment in motor control and coordination, which interferes with a person's ability to perform physical movements efficiently. This systematic review seeks to consolidate known research on the effectiveness of coordination exercises in improving hand function in children with Developmental coordination disorder.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed using four electronic databases: Scopus, PubMed, PEDro and The Cochrane Library databases for interventional trials published from 2010 to April 2024. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were used for the systematic review. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the PEDro scale, the GRADE system, Risk of Bias, and the Level of Evidence.
Result: The search identified a total of 383 studies through database searching. Six studies met the inclusion criteria: five were randomized controlled trials, and one was a quasi-experimental study. All interventions resulted in improvements in fine motor skills across various aspects of hand function. Specifically, haptic perception training programs and modified Taekwondo-training demonstrated significant improvement with large effect sizes (Cohen's d > 0.8) and p-values less than 0.05.
Conclusion: Coordination exercises seem to hold promise as a viable strategy for enhancing hand function in children with developmental disorders. The results indicate that these exercises could be integrated into rehabilitation regimens to augment motor skills. Nevertheless, given the varied interventions and children’s demographics under investigation, additional research is advised to develop uniform protocols and assess the enduring effectiveness of coordination exercises for this objective.
- Coordination exercises
- Developmental coordination disorder
- Fine motor skills
- Hand function
- Intervention effectiveness
- Motor performance
How to Cite
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