Identifying Issues in Effective Motor Imagery Training Practice in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Motor imagery training (MIT) has gained attention as an occupational therapy tool for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Although MIT has shown some effectiveness in children with DCD, intervention methods for DCD can still be improved. Further, occupational therapists should update their knowledge of motor imagery (MI) and MIT for children with DCD and understand their application. Objective: The objective of this study is to survey the existing evidence on MI and MIT in children with DCD and comprehensively identify what is known and the problems that have been identified. Methods: We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses extension for Scoping Review and American Occupational Therapy Association guidelines for data collection and quality assessment. We searched for articles that included the words “developmental coordination disorder” and “motor imagery, motor imagery training (mental practice).” We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and the Cochrane Library databases; the search end date was March 12, 2024. Findings: In total, 30 articles, including seven clinical studies and 23 fundamental studies, were eligible for this review. We surveyed (1) methods for assessing MI ability or clarity in children with DCD, (2) what is known about MI in children with DCD, and (3) the methodology of MIT for children with DCD. Conclusion: Children with DCD have reduced MI ability compared to that had by typically developing children. Thus, MIT is recommended as a means of reducing the behavioral consequences of internal modeling deficits in children with DCD. On the other hand, information on the methodology used in MIT for children with DCD is inadequate, and no clear intervention measures have been proposed. In the future, it is important to clarify the amount of load when performing MIT and clarify the combination with other programs through more advanced research methods.