Pathophysiology of NSS in ADHD

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the behavioural disorder most commonly diagnosed in childhood. In addition to the main symptoms of inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity, neurological soft signs (NSS) are often associated with ADHD. NSS are discrete motor and sensory disorders that cannot be linked to specific cerebral lesions. We review all the scientific contributions on NSS in ADHD. The conclusions support the presence of an alteration in the neural networks for motor control inhibition, at the base of the pathophysiology of NSS in children with ADHD, as well as a possible central role of dopamine in these neural circuits.