Relationship between visuospatial working memory and fine and gross motor skills in children with developmental disabilities: a preliminary study.
Soma Tsujishita, Daiki Nakashima, Kazunori Akizuki and 1 others
PMID 39902302WHAT IT FOUND
In 30 children with autism, visuospatial working memory correlated with fine motor skills but not gross motor skills.
The study was underpowered, so these links are preliminary and do not prove that memory training improves motor function.
Key findings
01Visuospatial working memory scores showed a significant correlation with fine motor scores.
02No significant correlation was found between visuospatial working memory scores and gross motor scores.
03The study was underpowered, with a calculated power of 0.782, which is below the standard 0.80 threshold.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (30 participants), and a post-hoc power analysis showed the study was underpowered (power 0.782). The cross-sectional design cannot determine causality; it is unclear if working memory influences motor skills or if a third factor drives both. The study excluded children with intellectual disabilities or other motor diagnoses, limiting generalizability to the broader ASD population. The specific tasks used (Purdue Pegboard vs. bean-bag throw) may have different cognitive demands unrelated to the underlying motor skill itself.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests, and the study received no external funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving visuospatial working memory will improve fine motor skills. This study shows a correlation in a small, underpowered sample, but it does not demonstrate that one causes the other or that an intervention targeting memory would yield motor benefits.