Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Screening People on Standing Balance with Romberg Testing and Walking Balance with Tandem Walking
Published on: September 1, 2023
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have impaired balance function: involvement of somatosensory,
Selina B M Shum1, Marco Y C Pang
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Objectives:
To compare standing balance performance and sensory organization of balance control in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (combined type) (ADHD-C) and typically developing children.
Study Design:
School-aged children (n = 43) with ADHD-C and 50 age- and sex-matched typically developing children participated in the study. Sensory organization of standing balance was evaluated using the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). In addition to the composite equilibrium score, somatosensory, vestibular, and visual ratios, which were indicators of the ability of the child to use information from the respective sensory systems to maintain balance, were computed. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to compare the outcome variables between the 2 groups while controlling for physical activity level.
Results:
MANCOVA revealed that children with ADHD-C had significantly lower composite equilibrium scores (P < .001) and somatosensory (P = .029), vestibular (P = .037), and visual ratios (P = .001) than control children, by 10.3%, 2.1%, 15.6%, and 16.0%, respectively.
Conclusions:
Children with ADHD-C had significant deficits in standing balance performance in all conditions that included a disruption of sensory signals. The visual system tends to be more involved in contributing to the balance deficits in children with ADHD-C than the somatosensory and vestibular systems.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Equilibrium and Balance
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
The Vestibular System

