Evaluation of sensorimotor training in children with ADHD

Reduced ability to regulate motor behavior seems to be an essential aspect of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and may reflect deficits in behavioral response inhibition. In this respect pragmatic clinical expe rience over;er the last two decades. In daily practice, training of motor c ontrol has played an important role within multimodal treatment approaches, although an adequate proof of its efficacy is still lacking. Therefore, to examine the efficacy of sensorimotor training, 12 children with ADHD (two groups of six) were treated with both sensorimotor training and (as control ) cognitive behavioral training using a within-subject cross-over design si gn. Each treatment had a duration of 4 months (20 sessions), yielding a tot al of 40 sessions for the completed cross-over design. Results showed that Sensorimotor Training improved sensorimotor coordination slightly, while Co gnitive Behavioral Training ameliorated cognitive impulse control. Hyperact ivity and anxious-depressive aggressive behavior were markedly reduced by S ensorimotor Training but not by Cognitive Behavioral Training, In conclusio n, a combined treatment may be recommended since compensation and regulatio n of inhibitory deficits in ADHD come into play within the framework of bot h kinds of training.