Abstract
In normal development, midline crossing inhibition (MCI) generally disappears by age nine. Individuals with mental retardation exhibit developmental delays which are manifested as failure to attain motor milestones. This study utilized a new methodology predicated upon a response processing model to measure MCI in 20 adults with moderate mental retardation. A chronologically equivalent group of individuals with mental retardation served as the control group. Measurements of reaction time (RT) and movement time were recorded as a subject performed ipsilateral, midline and contra-lateral movements. The rationale behind this experiment was that crossing midline to the contralateral side constituted a more complex task, requiring more response processing time and longer RTs. Analysis of the RT revealed inhibitory responses in the subjects with mental retardation when movements were made in a contralateral direction with the preferred hand. No inhibition was manifested by the subjects in the control group. This new method of assessing MCI detected this phenomenon with subjects who were mentally retarded.
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Surburg, P.R., Johnston, J. & Eason, B.L. Effects of midline crossing on response processing of adults with mental retardation. J Dev Phys Disabil 6, 327–338 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02578419
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02578419