Balance deficits and ADHD symptoms in medication-naïve school-aged boys.
OBJECTIVE
Functional disturbances developed early in life include balance deficits which are linked to dysfunctions of higher levels of cognitive and motor integration. According to our knowledge, there are only a few studies suggesting that balance deficits are related to behavioral disturbances in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).


METHODS
We tested the extent to which balance deficits were related to ADHD symptoms in 35 medication-naïve boys of school age (8-11 years) and compared the results with a control group of 30 boys of the same age.


RESULTS
ADHD symptoms in medication-naïve boys had specific relationships to disturbances of postural and gait balance.


CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence in the medical literature for a direct relationship between ADHD symptoms and balance deficits, that cannot be attributed to medication and the presence of any neurological disease.
Center for Neuropsychiatric Rsearch of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry and UHSL, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Jana
J
Konicarova
Center for Neuropsychiatric Rsearch of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry and UHSL, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic ; Central European Institute of Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Petr
P
Bob
Center for Neuropsychiatric Rsearch of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry and UHSL, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Jiri
J
Raboch
ADHD; balance deficits; conduct problems; developmental disorders; impulsivity; inhibitory deficits