Investigation of the differences in single and dual motor and cognitive task performances between children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and healthy controls

This descriptive cross-sectional study included a total of 68 children aged 7 to 16 years (37 with ADHD and 31 healthy controls). Upper extremity functions were assessed using the 9-Hole Peg Test, while lower extremity functions were evaluated using the 10-Meter Walk Test. For the upper extremity motor-motor dual task, children were asked to tap their foot to a rhythm while performing the 9-Hole Peg Test. For the motor cognitive dual task, they were asked to name animals starting with the letter "K" while performing the 9-Hole Peg Test. In the lower extremity motor motor dual task, participants were asked to carry a tray during the 10-Meter Walk Test, and in the motor-cognitive dual task, to name animals starting with the letter "K" while walking. Cadence (steps/min) was also recorded. In this study, which aimed to examine the differences in single and dual motor-motor and motor-cognitive task performance between children with ADHD and healthy controls, significant differences were found in upper extremity single motor (p<0.001), dual motor-motor (p<0.001), and dual motor-cognitive (p<0.001) performances between the groups. Furthermore, while upper extremity dual motor-motor task durations were shorter than single task durations in both ADHD (p<0.001) and healthy children (p=0.003), the duration of motor-cognitive dual tasks was significantly longer in children with ADHD (p<0.001). For lower extremity tasks, significant differences were also found between groups in single motor (p<0.001), dual motor-motor (p<0.001), dual motor-cognitive tasks (p<0.001), and cadence values (p=0.035). In healthy children, lower extremity dual motor-motor task durations were longer than single task durations (p<0.001), whereas in children with ADHD, dual motor cognitive task durations were significantly longer than single task durations (p<0.001). In conclusion, dual task performance in children with ADHD is negatively affected by impairments in attention sharing, motor planning, and executive functions. Notable performance deficits were observed in functional activities involving both upper and lower extremities. Keywords: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dual Task, Motor Performance, Cognitive Task