Which statement best describes differences in white matter architecture in DCD?

• A. Differences in white matter architecture - CST, corpus callosum
• B. Visual deficits
• C. Normal brain structure
• D. Increased gray matter density in prefrontal cortex

Answer: (A)

The core idea is that developmental coordination disorder is linked to differences in white matter pathways that wire the brain, not a normal brain structure or solely gray matter changes. White matter comprises the myelinated fibers that enable fast communication between regions, and in DCD, diffusion imaging often reveals altered integrity in motor-related tracts, especially the corticospinal tract which connects the motor cortex to the spinal cord, and the corpus callosum which coordinates information between the two hemispheres. These tract-level differences help explain challenges with planning and executing coordinated movements. Visual deficits aren’t the defining feature, the brain isn’t simply normal, and increases in gray matter density in the prefrontal cortex don’t address the white matter network changes that underlie motor coordination difficulties.