Early touch and body awareness in preterm children and later movement skills
Predictive ability of early somatosensory processing in preterm children on later motor development
This project is looking at whether differences in touch and body awareness in children born preterm predict later difficulties learning movement skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11324598 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will measure how young children born preterm sense touch and where their body is in space (proprioception) using tests adapted for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. They will follow the children over time to compare early sensory measures with later motor skills such as coordination and everyday activities. The team aims to develop reliable, age-appropriate ways to spot sensory problems before movement difficulties become clear. If early sensory differences predict later delays, clinicians could use that information to guide earlier, targeted therapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children born preterm, especially infants and toddlers up through the preschool years who do not already have a clear neuromuscular diagnosis.
Not a fit: Children with established severe neuromuscular diagnoses like cerebral palsy or adults with unrelated conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify children at risk for motor problems earlier so therapy can begin sooner and improve long-term movement and daily function.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research links somatosensory problems to motor delays and adult motor-learning studies support the idea, but reliable early predictive measures in very young preterm children are relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chu, Virginia Way Tong — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Chu, Virginia Way Tong
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.