Evaluation of motor skills and executive functions in patients with specific learning disorders and determination of their relationship with lateralization

Aim: Difficulties are experienced in the areas of auditory and visual perception skills, processing speed, organization, memory, fine and gross motor skills, attention, abstraction, and social competence in SLD, and these problems have been associated with some neurological lateralized deficits. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the motor skills and executive functions of SLD patients and to investigate their relationship with lateralization. Method: In this study, 35 patients aged 7-10 years who applied to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic of İnönü University Turgut Özal Medical Center and were diagnosed with SLD according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria as a result of clinical examination and evaluations were included. The study group consisted of 35 healthy children matched in terms of age and gender, and two separate control groups consisting of 35 ADHD patients. Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, CPRS-48, BRIEF, MABC-2 were applied. IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 program was used for statistical analysis of the study. Results: MABC-2 total scores were lower in SLD and ADHD groups than healthy control group. In the MABC-2 subscales, there was a significant decrease in manual skill scores in the SLD group compared to the ADHD group and the healthy control group. Targeting and catching scores were lower in ADHD patients compared to the other two groups. SLD group score was similar to healthy controls. In the balance sub-domain score, a lower score was found in the SLD and ADHD groups compared to the healthy control group. The ADHD group had higher scores on the BRIEF scale. In the correlation analysis between the CPRS-48 and BRIEF scores, the aggression / hyperactivity was found to be positively correlated with the BRIEF subscale scores. In SLD, compared to ADHD, less disruption in global manager score and inhibition subscales, and similar scores were obtained in subscales of changing set, emotional control, initiation, and regularity as healthy controls. In the correlation analysis of executive functions and motor skill scores, a negative correlation was found between the MABC-2 score and the BRIEF score. There was no difference between the groups in terms of hand preference, foot preference and eye preference. There was no difference in terms of MABC-2 scores and BRIEF scores according to their lateralization. Conclusion: It was observed that there were impairments in motor skills and executive functions in SLD group and these areas were not significantly associated with lateralization. The results of the study emphasize that there may be dysfunctions in various areas in neurodevelopmental disorders such as SLD.