Correlations between performance in a virtual reality game and the movement assessment battery diagnostics in children with developmental coordination disorder

We aimed to compare the performance in a Virtual Reality (VR) game between Typically Developed (TD) children and children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). We then compared the performance in a VR game with the sub-grades of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC). Twenty TD children (10 boys; mean and SD age 5.1 ± 0.6) and 10 children with DCD (4 boys; mean and SD age 5.6 ± 0.6) participated in the study. The parents filled out the DCD questionnaire. The MABC was administered. Each subject stood on a pressure pad and played a non-immersive VR game. The game score, hand path length, and movement of center of pressure were recorded. The game score achieved by the control group was ~22% higher compared to the game score achieved by the research group (p = 0.042). The path length of the right hand strongly correlated with the visual-motor coordination MABC subcategory score (r = 0.902, p < 0.001), with the balance MABC subcategory score (r = 0.769, p = 0.009), and with the total MABC score (r = 0.667, p = 0.035). This VR game might provide a preliminary distinction between TD children and children with DCD. Furthermore, investigation of hand path length may reflect the visual-motor coordination impairment of the child.