Consequences of vestibular hypofunction in children with ADHD/DCD.

Background: Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) demonstrate a heterogeneous sensorimotor, emotional, and cognitive profile. Comorbid sensorimotor imbalance, anxiety, and spatial disorientation are particularly prevalent among their non-core symptoms. Studies in other populations presented these three comorbid dysfunctions in the context of vestibular hypofunction.

Objective: To test whether there is a subgroup of children with ADHD who have vestibular hypofunction presenting with concomitant imbalance, anxiety, and spatial disorientation.

Methods: Children with ADHD-only (n = 28), ADHD + Developmental Coordination Disorder (ADHD + DCD; n = 38), and Typical Development (TD; n = 19) were evaluated for vestibular function by the Dynamic Visual Acuity test (DVA-t), balance by the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of motor proficiency (BOT-2), panic anxiety by the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders questionnaire-Child version (SCARED-C), and spatial navigation by the Triangular Completion test (TC-t).

Results: Children with ADHD vs. TD presented with a high rate of vestibular hypofunction (65 vs. 0 %), imbalance (42 vs. 0 %), panic anxiety (27 vs. 11 %), and spatial disorientation (30 vs. 5 %). Children with ADHD + DCD contributed more frequent and severe vestibular hypofunction and imbalance than children with ADHD-only (74 vs. 54 %; 58 vs. 21 %, respectively). A concomitant presence of imbalance, anxiety, and spatial disorientation was observed in 33 % of children with ADHD, all sharing vestibular hypofunction.

Conclusions: Vestibular hypofunction may be the common pathophysiology of imbalance, anxiety, and spatial disorientation in children. These comorbidities are preferentially present in children with ADHD + DCD rather than ADHD-only, thus likely related to DCD rather than to ADHD disorder. Children with this profile may benefit from a vestibular rehabilitation intervention.