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Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Postural Organization of Gait Initiation for Biomechanical Analysis Using Force Platform Recordings
Published on: July 26, 2022
Deficient coordination of associated postural adjustments during a lifting task in children with neurodevelopmental
Aurelija Jucaite1, Elisabeth Fernell, Hans Forssberg
1Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. aurelija.jucaite@kbh.ki.se
Insights
Children with ADHD and DCD exhibit motor coordination deficits, including issues with grip force and postural adjustments. These challenges suggest underlying neural dysfunctions not exclusive to specific diagnoses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are common neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Both ADHD and DCD are associated with motor difficulties, but their specific impact on precision grip and anticipatory postural adjustments is not fully understood.
- Understanding these motor control deficits is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate precision grip and anticipatory postural adjustments in children with ADHD, DCD, and combined ADHD+DCD.
- To compare motor control strategies between clinical groups and age-matched controls.
- To identify specific motor deficits associated with each condition and their overlap.
Main Methods:
- Participants included children with ADHD, DCD, ADHD+DCD, an age-matched control group, and a younger control group.
- Grip force, load force, and center of foot pressure displacements were monitored using a specialized grip instrument during weight adaptation tasks.
- Analysis focused on grip force scaling, postural adjustment timing, and amplitude.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD+DCD demonstrated excessive grip forces, reduced postural adjustment amplitude, prolonged onset, and impaired motor output adaptation.
- Children with ADHD and DCD showed difficulties scaling manual and postural forces in both amplitude and time domains.
- Children with DCD exhibited delayed timing of postural adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Children with ADHD and DCD exhibit a range of motor coordination deficits, including impaired grip control and altered postural responses.
- These findings suggest overlapping neural dysfunctions contributing to motor impairments in ADHD and DCD.
- The observed motor control issues are not strictly specific to either clinical diagnosis, highlighting a spectrum of neurodevelopmental challenges.
Abstract:
Precision grip and concomitant anticipatory postural adjustments were investigated in 11 children (three females, eight males; mean age 9 years 1 month, SD 11 months) with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); 12 children (three females, nine males; mean age 9 years, SD 7 months) with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and 13 children (two females, 11 males; mean age 9 years 9 months, SD 11 months) with a combination of ADHD and DCD (ADHD+). There were two comparison groups: an age-matched group (four females, 11 males; mean age 9 years 1 month, SD 14 months) and a younger age group (five females, six males; mean age 6 years 5 months, SD 8 months). Adaptation to different weights was evaluated by lifting a specialized grip instrument monitoring grip force, load force, and centre of foot pressure displacements. Children with ADHD+ showed: (1) excessive grip forces, (2) decreased amplitude and prolonged onset of postural adjustments, and (3) reduced ability to adapt the motor output. Children with ADHD and DCD did not scale manual and postural forces in amplitude and time domains. Children with DCD also differed in delayed timing of postural adjustments. Results indicate that children with ADHD and DCD show a spectrum of neural dysfunctions underlying poor motor coordination, which are not specific to the clinical disorder.
