Outcome Measures for Motor impairments in Pediatric Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is identified as a neurobehavioral disorder characterizing inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and functional impairment. Motor impairments are rarely part of assessments and typically not treated in ADHD. The outcome measures used for motor impairments lack consensus, limiting a uniform approach to rehabilitation. Therefore, a review of the literature to underline and verify outcome measures for motor impairments in ADHD in the pediatric population is needed. Methodology: A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-Sr guidelines to assess and categorize outcome measures used for motor impairments in the pediatric ADHD population. Pubmed Central, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for publications between 2009-2019 that reported on Motor impairments in pediatric ADHD and mentioned related outcome measures. The data are presented using a ‘narrative review’ or descriptive analysis of the contextual or process-oriented data and simple quantitative analysis using descriptive statistics. Results: 22 studies were included: 4 randomized controlled trials, 11 observational studies, and 7 experimental studies. The outcome measures found in the studies showed a divided application with no uniformity in their use as a prognostic or diagnostic measure. Conclusion: This review highlights the lack of uniformity in the outcome measures used for motor impairments in pediatric ADHD.