Understanding How Children Learn Movement Across Development
Official title: Development of Mechanisms Underlying Human Motor Learning
Funded at Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger · NIH-11381878 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how kids learn movement and how brain signals shape that learning, aiming to map how age and brain differences affect motor skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2021 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $686,748 |
| NIH project number | 5R35NS122266-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11381878 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents with movement or neurological concerns who could benefit from tailored motor-learning therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy children with typical development may experience limited direct benefit beyond general knowledge.
What this research studies
Movement learning in children is a foundation for many life skills, and this project will use kid-friendly home tasks and new lab methods to track how different brain signals influence learning over time. By studying diverse ages and developmental stages, researchers hope to build a detailed map of how movement comes about and what goes wrong when neurological damage occurs. The team will analyze how rewards, errors, and other brain signals interact with age to drive motor learning, retention, and adaptability. The goal is to create a framework that could guide personalized training approaches for children with movement difficulties.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to personalized therapies that help children improve motor skills more effectively.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has begun to map motor learning components in children, but the proposed high-resolution, age-specific flowchart is innovative.
Where this research is happening
-
Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bastian, Amy J. — Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger
- Study coordinator: Bastian, Amy J.
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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.