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Increased associated movements: influence of attention deficits and movement difficulties

Melissa Licari1, Dawne Larkin

  • 1School of Sports Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley WA 6009, Australia. mlicari@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Human Movement Science
|April 9, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Increased associated movements (AMs) in children are linked to motor difficulties, not attention disorders. Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) showed more AMs, regardless of co-occurring ADHD symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Associated movements (AMs) are involuntary movements that co-occur with voluntary actions.
  • The relationship between AMs, motor difficulties, and attention disorders requires further clarification.
  • Understanding this link is crucial for accurate diagnosis and intervention in pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether increased AMs are indicative of motor impairments or symptoms of attention disorders.
  • To differentiate the contribution of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to AM severity.
  • To determine if ADHD symptoms influence AM severity in children with DCD.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving four groups of male children aged 6-8 years.
  • Groups included children with DCD, ADHD, co-occurring DCD and ADHD, and a typically developing control group.
  • AM severity was assessed using established tasks from validated assessments and prior research.

Main Results:

  • Children with DCD and co-occurring DCD/ADHD exhibited significantly higher AM severity compared to ADHD and control groups (p<.001).
  • No significant difference in AM severity was observed between the ADHD-only group and the control group (p=.67).
  • AM severity did not differ between the DCD and DCD/ADHD groups (p=.81), indicating ADHD symptoms do not exacerbate AMs in DCD.

Conclusions:

  • Increased AM severity is primarily associated with motor difficulties, specifically DCD, rather than attention disorders.
  • AMs do not appear to be a direct symptom or consequence of ADHD in children.
  • Findings suggest that AM assessment may be a valuable tool for identifying motor coordination issues in children.

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