Postural Balance Performance of Children with ADHD, with and without Medication: A Quantitative Approach

tAtention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) significantly impairs the performance of students during their early school years. However, the extent of the difference in postural stability between children with ADHD and Typically Developed (TD) children, are still not fully understood. Also, it is clinically important to investigate possible effects of medication on their performances. We recruited 38 children between the ages 6 to 12 with ADHD (15 medically naïve, 23 with current treatment history) and 25 age-matched as TD. Postural stability performance was assessed in four conditions: 1-eyes open, 2-eyes closed, 3-eyes open on foam and 4-eyes closed on foam. A cost-effective mobile force platform was used to evaluate postural performance quantitatively. Results revealed a lower stability performance in the medically-naïve participants especially in trials with eyes open on foam. No significant difference in performance was seen between children with medical treatment history and the TD group. Results suggest that using medication can effectively enhance postural stability for children with ADHD. We found portable balance assessment tools helpful in identifying changes in motor performances among children with ADHD. Our results indicate that further research is needed to understand the exact implications of ADHD on postural stability under different sensory stimuli.