Project

The vestibular system in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: a neglected sense?

Code
11PDQ24N
Duration
01 November 2023 → 31 October 2027
Funding
Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO)
Promotor
Research disciplines
  • Social sciences
    • Developmental neuropsychology
  • Medical and health sciences
    • Pediatrics
    • Motor control
    • Audiology
Keywords
Sensory integration and motor competence Neurodevelopmental disorders Vestibular System Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) Attention/Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
 
Project description

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD), pose a serious threat to a normal, social, academic and professional life. The past decades, there has been an increasing interest in the processes affected in those with NDDs, especially given the substantial comorbidity of ASD, ADHD and DCD. So far, relatively little research has looked into the vestibular system as a potential determinant of the motor deficits in NDDs. This is somehow surprising since the clinical picture of individuals with vestibular dysfunction overlaps with that of ASD, ADHD and DCD. In the current project, experts in vestibulology/audiology/otology, movement and rehabilitation sciences, and clinical psychology, will therefore collaborate to unravel the role of the vestibular system in the development of these disorders. We expect that the results of the project will significantly advance our understanding of the symptomatology of individuals with a NDD, which will ultimately lead to improved differential diagnostics and optimized therapeutic treatments.