A Critical View on Motor-based Interventions to Improve Motor Skill Performance in Children With ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective: To map the effect of motor-based interventions on motor skills in children with ADHD. Method: A systematic literature search was performed in Pubmed, Web of Science, and the SCOPUS database (last search: October 30th 2022). Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro-scale and the quality of evidence was determined with the GRADE-method. Meta-analysis was performed when at least five studies were available. Results: Thirteen studies (7 RCTs) satisfied the inclusion criteria, five of which were eligible for meta-analysis. Only one of the included studies reached the low risk of bias threshold. Comparing different motor-based interventions to any non-motor control intervention showed large motor skill improvements (SMD = 1.46; 95% CI = [1.00;1.93]; I² = 47.07%). The most effective type of motor-based intervention and the optimal treatment parameters could not be determined yet. Conclusion: Motor-based interventions in general seem to improve motor skills in children with ADHD. Additional RCTs are needed to increase current low GRADE confidence.