The level of postural sway in people with ADHD is significantly higher than that of people without ADHD. As motor tasks become more complex or difficult, the difference in levels of postural sway between those with ADHD and those without becomes more dramatic.

ADHD and Postural Sway

The volume of certain regions of the cerebellum is associated with postural sway. Specifically, postural sway has a strong positive relationship with the regional volume of the right posterior cerebellum. Additionally, performance in motor-related tasks is positively associated with cerebellar gray matter density. In other words, people with more gray matter in their cerebellum tend to be less coordinated.

The Cerebellum and Postural Sway

Postural sway is the usually subtle horizontal movement our bodies use to find our center of gravity. Postural sway is present in all individuals as it is necessary for maintaining balance during motor tasks such as walking, running, or even just standing.

Hofstra University

- Works with the supplementary motor area (SMA) to regulate ongoing movements and create uniform movement.
- The size of the cerebellum is positively related to the complexity of an organism's movement capabilities.
- The outer layer, or "cerebellar cortex," contains Purkinje cells involved in guiding movement.
- Receives and sends information to the sensory organs of the proprioceptive and kinesthetic systems to help process body position and movement.

Cerebellum and Movement

Nwogwugwu, S. (n.d.). The ADHD WALK: Your gait-way to balance. Done. ADHD Managed. https://www.donefirst.com/blog/what-causes-the-adhd-walk 

The ADHD Walk: Your Gait-way to Balance

- Cerebral cortex sends electrical signals (outputs) along the purkinje cells that make up this structure 
- As they travel towards the end of these cells, they create an inhibitory signal that is passed on to deeper cerebellar cells, which ultimately inhibit these neurons and guide movement in this way

Cerebral Cortex and Neural Inhibition

- In patients that have damage to the cerebellum, they retain their ability to start/stop movements, but have difficulty in achieving "fluid" or "typical" movement patterns 

Damage to Cerebellum

Postural Sway

A professional dancer performs a complex routine that involves a rapid sequence of precise, coordinated, and fluid movements. A specific brain structure, which constantly receives information about the body's position and movement, is critical for this level of performance. Based on its role, what is the most likely consequence if this specific structure were impaired?

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