Postural control among children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in single and dual...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human Movement Science
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with attention deficits.
• Postural control is known to require attentional resources.
• Understanding postural control mechanisms in ADHD is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate postural control differences in children with and without ADHD.
• To examine the impact of single-task versus dual-task conditions on postural control.
• To elucidate the role of attention in the postural sway of children with ADHD.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a force platform to measure Center of Pressure (COP) trajectories.
• Employed stabilogram diffusion analysis (SDA) to quantify postural sway.
• Compared postural control in single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions (auditory-memory task).
• Recruited 24 children with ADHD and 17 age-gender-matched healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Children with ADHD demonstrated significantly greater ML-sway, diffusion coefficients, and critical displacement during both ST and DT compared to controls.
• Healthy controls showed reduced ML-sway, AP-sway, sway area, and critical displacement in DT.
• Children with ADHD exhibited reduced ML-sway range and critical displacement in DT.

Conclusions:

• Children with ADHD exhibit impaired postural control, with greater sway displacement before feedback mechanisms engage.
• Dual-tasking appears to enhance balance control by promoting automaticity and reducing sway in both ADHD and healthy children.
• These findings highlight the interplay between attention and motor control in ADHD and suggest potential benefits of dual-task training.