Lower extremity response time performance in boys with ADHD

Prevalence and Correlates of ADHD Among Adolescent Students in Nigeria

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of ADHD among adolescents in Jos, Nigeria.

METHOD

A cross-sectional descriptive two-stage study of 487 randomly selected participants using Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), Raven's Standard Progressive Matrix (SPM) and the Children's Global Assessment Score (CGAS).

RESULTS

The prevalence of ADHD was 8.8%. The subtypes found were inattentive (3.08%), hyperactive-impulsive (2.05%), and combined (3.08%); male:female ratio of 1.4:1. ADHD was significantly associated with use of substance by father (odds ratio [OR] = 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.154, 0.781]), use of substance by mother (OR = 0.2; 95% CI = [0.055, 0.711]), and lower education of mother (OR = 0.3 95% CI = [0.116, 0.693]). Poor quality of handwriting (χ² = 8.120; p = .010) and impaired global functioning ( t test = 10.756; p < .001) were significantly associated with ADHD in the adolescents.

CONCLUSION

Given the burden of ADHD, efforts should be made to establish a system for the early identification and management.

Motor skills in Czech children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and their neurotypical counterparts

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioural disorder. Characterized by recurring problems with impulsiveness and inattention in combination with hyperactivity, motor impairments have also been well documented in the literature. The aim of this study was to compare the fine and gross motor skills of male and female children with ADHD and their neurotypical counterparts within seven skill assessments. This included three fine motor tasks: (1) spiral tracing, (2) dot filling, (3) tweezers and beads; and four gross motor tasks: (1) twistbox, (2) foot tapping, (3) small plate finger tapping, and (4) large plate finger tapping. It was hypothesized that children with ADHD would display poorer motor skills in comparison to neurotypical controls in both fine and gross motor assessments. However, statistically significant differences between the groups only emerged in four of the seven tasks (spiral tracing, dot filling, tweezers and beads and foot tapping). In line with previous findings, the complexity underlying upper limb tasks solidified the divide in performance between children with ADHD and their neurotypical counterparts. In light of similar research, impairments in lower limb motor skill were also observed. Future research is required to further delineate trends in motor difficulties in ADHD, while further investigating the underlying mechanisms of impairment.