An internal focus of attention benefits motor function in children with Sydenham chorea syndrome: A case study

Aims: The aim of the present case series was to describe an instructional (attention) intervention for improving motor function in two children rehabilitating from Sydenam’s chorea syndrome. Evidence suggests that paying attention to the body can be advantageous for afferent proprioceptive processing during motor skills wherein this information is relevant for successful task execution. This unique approach may also hold true for individuals with movement disorders, such as Sydenham chorea syndrome: a rare neurological condition that results in uncoordinated movements. Methods: The present study provides a case study of two children unable to walk independently due to low postural stability. Both children completed ‘10-Meter Walk’ and ‘Timed Up and Go’ tests as a baseline, before undergoing three sessions per week of an intervention, for three months. Both children practiced walking and dynamic balance, with one child instructed to adopt an internal (bodily) focus and the other an external focus. A post-test experimental phase was then conducted to measure learning. Results: Results revealed superior motor function when adopting a focus on body motion. Conclusions: When movement disorders create ambiguity in motor efference, an internal focus on task-relevant proprioceptive information may facilitate more appropriate movement organisation.