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Excessive movement may increase attention, alertness among children with ADHD

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may exhibit excessive movement during cognitive performance in an effort to increase alertness and attention, according to study findings in Child Neuropsychology.

“The relationship between elevated rates of activity and ADHD is pervasive, as the disorder is associated with increased movement and fidgeting, even during sleep, in both children and adults,” study researcher Tadeus Arthur Hartanto, BS, of the University of California, Sacramento, and colleagues wrote. “Several recent studies have documented increased rates of activity during the performance of cognitively-demanding tasks, such as working memory, stop-signal and choice tasks.”

Tadeus Arthur Hartanto

To examine the association between motor activity and accuracy during cognitive performance, Hartanto and colleagues assessed 44 children, aged 10 to 17 years: 26 with ADHD and 18 typically developing. Children wore an actometer on their ankle while performing a flanker paradigm.

More intense movement during cognitive performance was associated with better performance among children with ADHD but not among typically developing children, according to researchers.

Children with ADHD exhibited more intense movement than typically developing children during correct cognitive performance trials, but not during error trials.

Within each group, children with ADHD generated higher intensity movement during their correct trials but not during error trials, while typically developing children did not show any differences in movement.

“One possible mechanism for a relationship between movement and performance is that children with ADHD use movement to self-regulate alertness. An optimal level of arousal is required for peak cognitive performance. Our data support Rapport et al’s model that hyperactivity serves a ‘purposeful function’ to compensate for underarousal and acts to improve cognitive performance,” Hartanto and colleagues wrote. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.