Author(s): PELEG, S., WADDINGTON, G., WITCHALLS, J., SITTON, Y., SHEMY, E., GUR-HARTMAN, T., STEINBERG, N., Institution: LEVINSKY-WINGATE ACADEMIC COLLEG - WINGATE CAMPUS, Country: ISRAEL, Abstract-ID: 461

INTRODUCTION:
Athletes diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at risk of developing lower limb fractures or sprains due to the deficiency in motor control, which depends on the quality of sensorimotor function (Ruiz-Goikoetxea et al., 2018). Therefore, there is room to evaluate the sensorimotor abilities of the ankle joint in athletes with ADHD, in order to clarify the relationship between a form of central nervous system function and the sensorimotor acuity around the ankle joint and ankle stability.
METHODS:
Sample population included 103 participants divided into three groups, i.e., diagnosed (n=28) or suspected (n=32) with ADHD and a control group (n=33). Two tests were performed to assess the participants' sensorimotor acuity: 1. Joint position reproduction (JPR) test; 2. Active movement extent discrimination (AMEDA) test.
RESULTS:
Athletes diagnosed or suspected with ADHD had a significantly lower ankle movement discriminative ability compared to controls, i.e., 0.656±0.046 vs. 0.643±0.062 vs. 0.568±0.074 vs. respectively for the AMEDA test (WB condition) whereas, no significant difference was found between the three groups in the two inversion angles (10° and 30°) for absolute error, exact error and relative error of the dominant (right) leg in the JPR test (NWB condition).
CONCLUSION:
In individuals diagnosed with ADHD, sensory processing in general (e.g., sight, sound, touch etc.) including balance (vestibular stimuli) and body awareness (proprioception) may be impaired due to sensory dysregulation ( Li et al., 2023). Following Gillberg's statement (Gillberg, 2003): perception must be included in any assessment model for participants with ADHD, as part of the assessment of motor control. However, the main emphasis in the literature concerns the assessment of proprioceptive ability in the upper extremities, due to the possible connection to impaired fine motor skills and with an emphasis on writing. Therefore, based on the preliminary results of the current study, the ability to integrate sensorimotor information is impacted in the upright standing position, i.e., under gravity demands. This implies, that the AMEDA protocol could be used as a tool in the population diagnosed with ADHD to support further understanding and potential for enhancement of motor abilities in this group.

References:

Gillberg, C. (2003). Deficits in attention, motor control, and perception: a brief review. Arch Dis Child, 88(10), 904-910. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.88.10.904

Li, J., Wang, W., Cheng, J., Li, H., Feng, L., Ren, Y., Liu, L., Qian, Q., & Wang, Y. (2023). Relationships between sensory integration and the core symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: the mediating effect of executive function. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 32(11), 2235-2246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-022-02069-5

Ruiz-Goikoetxea, M., Cortese, S., Aznarez-Sanado, M., Magallon, S., Alvarez Zallo, N., Luis, E. O., de Castro-Manglano, P., Soutullo, C., & Arrondo, G. (2018). Risk of unintentional injuries in children and adolescents with ADHD and the impact of ADHD medications: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 84, 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.11.007