The constant movement of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be distracting -- but the fidgeting also may improve their cognitive performance, a study by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.
The study of pre-teens and teenagers with ADHD examined how movement -- its intensity and frequency -- correlated with accuracy on cognitively demanding tasks requiring good attention. It found that participants who moved more intensely exhibited substantially better cognitive performance.
The study, "A trial-by-trial analysis reveals more intense physical activity is associated with better cognitive control performance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder," is published online today in Child Neuropsychology. It is the first to assess the relationship between activity and task performance on a trial-by-trial basis in ADHD, the authors said. …show more content…
"Parents and teachers shouldn't try to keep them still. Let them move while they are doing their work or other challenging cognitive tasks, Schweitzer said. "It may be that the hyperactivity we see in ADHD may actually be beneficial at times. Perhaps the movement increases their arousal level, which leads to better attention."
For the study, the authors recruited 26 children with validated ADHD diagnoses and 18 who were developing typically and served as controls. The research was conducted at the MIND Institute in Sacramento, Calif. The participants were between the ages of 10 years and 17 years when the study was conducted.
The participants' movements were measured by affixing a device to their ankles that measured their level of activity while completing a "flanker test" that requires good attention and the ability to inhibit paying attention to
The study of pre-teens and teenagers with ADHD examined how movement -- its intensity and frequency -- correlated with accuracy on cognitively demanding tasks requiring good attention. It found that participants who moved more intensely exhibited substantially better cognitive performance.
The study, "A trial-by-trial analysis reveals more intense physical activity is associated with better cognitive control performance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder," is published online today in Child Neuropsychology. It is the first to assess the relationship between activity and task performance on a trial-by-trial basis in ADHD, the authors said. …show more content…
"Parents and teachers shouldn't try to keep them still. Let them move while they are doing their work or other challenging cognitive tasks, Schweitzer said. "It may be that the hyperactivity we see in ADHD may actually be beneficial at times. Perhaps the movement increases their arousal level, which leads to better attention."
For the study, the authors recruited 26 children with validated ADHD diagnoses and 18 who were developing typically and served as controls. The research was conducted at the MIND Institute in Sacramento, Calif. The participants were between the ages of 10 years and 17 years when the study was conducted.
The participants' movements were measured by affixing a device to their ankles that measured their level of activity while completing a "flanker test" that requires good attention and the ability to inhibit paying attention to