Why Does ADHD Cause Gait and Postural Sway Issues? Exaggerated postural sway and longer gaits associated with the ADHD walk are believed to be a result of issues with cerebellar development - the part of your brain most involved in the coordination of muscles due to its connection to the somatosensory systems.
Within-group comparisons showed that children with ADHD as well as controls walked with reduced velocity and a tendency toward increased stride time in the dual-task condition compared to normal walking, implying that in both groups gait requires executive functions.
Researchers from University of Central Florida have discovered that children with ADHD need to move more to maintain the required level of alertness while performing tasks that challenge their working memory. “We've known for years that children with ADHD are more active than their peers.
ADHD brains have lower dopamine levels which can lead to issues with sensory processing, motor control, and movement. You can improve coordination with balancing exercises, fine motor activities, and medication.
Greater postural sway can indicate balancing problems and is commonly seen in people with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. This may be due to abnormalities in the cerebellum, a brain region linked to gait, balance control, and cognition.
If, on the other hand, an individual with ADHD loses interest in an activity, his nervous system disengages, in search of something more interesting. Sometimes this disengagement is so abrupt as to induce sudden extreme drowsiness, even to the point of falling asleep.
While some assume that fidgeting means the person is distracted or not paying attention, the opposite is true for people with ADHD. Fidgeting is a sign that the person with ADHD is trying to stay focused, but the task they're focusing on isn't providing their brain with enough stimulation.
“Common symptoms of ADHD may enhance athletic performance. Some athletes with ADHD naturally excel in baseball and basketball, which involve quick movements and reactive decision-making, due to these athletes' inherent impulsivity.
People who have ADHD frequently experience emotions so deeply that they become overwhelmed or “flooded.” They may feel joy, anger, pain, or confusion in a given situation—and the intensity may precede impulsive behaviors they regret later.
Studies have shown that symptoms of bipolar disorder often overlap with those of ADHD, making it hard to diagnose both of these disorders. Bipolar disorder is marked by mood swings between periods of intense emotional highs and lows.
Premature eye movements are associated with severity of ADHD traits.
having a short attention span and being easily distracted. making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork. appearing forgetful or losing things. being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming.
Executive functions have other roles which affect how someone thinks. In people with ADHD, these executive dysfunctions impact thinking in numerous ways. People with ADHD don't really think faster than people without it, but it can sometimes seem like they do.
Smaller hippocampus and amygdala sizes can cause impairment in the regulation of memory, emotion, and behavior, which is a common symptom of kids with ADHD. While these regions of the brain may remain smaller in people with ADHD, studies have shown that they do continue to grow and mature as children get older.
But for kids with ADHD, rushing can be an ongoing challenge that results in sloppy, incorrect, or incomplete work. Why does this happen? A key reason is that kids with ADHD struggle with executive function skills. They often have a hard time staying focused, managing their time, waiting, and monitoring their work.
These may include hyperfocus, resilience, creativity, conversational skills, spontaneity, and abundant energy. Many people view these benefits as “superpowers” because those with ADHD can hone them to their advantage. People with ADHD have a unique perspective that others may find interesting and valuable.
Millions of US children have been diagnosed with ADHD
Boys (13%) are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (6%).
“Basketball, hockey and soccer are sports where the athletes are almost always moving and there's very little idle time,” Dr. Pollack explains. “That constant motion provides a good outlet for the athletes to use their energy, and having less idle team means they are less likely to become distracted.”
Our team found in previous publications that ADHD is linked with both hyper- and hypo-brain functioning. We think that the physical movement is a way to increase dopamine and/or noradrenergic activity in the brain, and that the increase in these neurotransmitters works to improve focus and alertness.
Restless legs syndrome
RLS often occurs in children with ADHD. This includes many of those who already have nighttime cramping and jerking in their arms or legs. Symptoms of RLS include an uncomfortable tingling, burning, or crawling sensation in the legs when the child lies down to sleep.
1 Eye Contact: Avoidance of eye contact may be a charactersitic behaviour of a child with ADHD or Autistic Specrum Disorder. They may look as if they are ignoring you, but some children find making eye contact really difficult.
ADHD burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that can be caused by long-term, unmanaged ADHD symptoms and stressors. It is often characterized by feelings of overwhelming fatigue, reduced productivity, and a sense of hopelessness or despair.
ADHD brain fog causes people to feel unfocused and mentally exhausted. Brain fog can also cause anxiety, depression, low productivity, forgetfulness, and problems communicating with others. When all these factors combine, it becomes virtually impossible for the person to function normally.
Many adults with ADHD are self-described (and quite happy) “night owls.” As stimuli and distractions dim, creativity and productivity shine while the rest of the world sleeps. But staying up too late can sabotage daytime work responsibilities.