BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Functional disturbances developed early in life include balance deficits which are linked to dysfunctions of higher levels of cognitive and motor integration. According to our knowledge, there are only a few studies suggesting that balance deficits are related to behavioral disturbances in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: We tested the extent to which balance deficits were related to ADHD symptoms in 35 medication-naïve boys of school age (8-11 years) and compared the results with a control group of 30 boys of the same age. RESULTS: ADHD symptoms in medication-naïve boys had specific relationships to disturbances of postural and gait balance. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence in the medical literature for a direct relationship between ADHD symptoms and balance deficits, that cannot be attributed to medication and the presence of any neurological disease.

Center for Neuropsychiatric Rsearch of Traumatic Stress Department of Psychiatry and UHSL 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Center for Neuropsychiatric Rsearch of Traumatic Stress Department of Psychiatry and UHSL 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic ; Central European Institute of Technology Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

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Dynamic balance in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and its relationship with cognitive functions and cerebellum