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Cited by 171Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderAction Observation and SynchronizationChildren's Physical and Motor Development

Motor Timing Deficits in Community and Clinical Boys with Hyperactive Behavior: The Effect of Methylphenidate on Motor Timing

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Rubia, Katya, Noorloos, Janet, Smith, Anna, Gunning, Boudewijn, Sergeant, Joseph·2003·Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
DOI 10.1023/a:1023233630774
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Abstract

In a previous paper we showed that community children with hyperactive behavior were more inconsistent than controls in the temporal organization of their motor output. In this study we investigated: (1) various aspects of motor timing processes in 13 clinically diagnosed boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were compared to 11 community boys with hyperactive behavior and to a control group and (2) the effect of methylphenidate on the motor timing processes in the clinical group with ADHD in a double blind, cross-over, medication-placebo design, including 4 weeks of medication. The clinical group with ADHD, like the community group with hyperactivity, showed greater variability in sensorimotor synchronization and in sensorimotor anticipation relative to controls. The clinical group was also impaired in time perception, which was spared in the community group with hyperactivity. The persistent, but not the acute dose, of methylphenidate reduced the variability of sensorimotor synchronization and anticipation, but had no effect on time perception. This study shows that motor timing functions are impaired in both clinical and community children with hyperactivity. It is the first study to show the effectiveness of persistent administration of methylphenidate on deficits in motor timing in ADHD children and extends the use of methylphenidate from the domain of attentional and inhibitory functions to the domain of executive motor timing.

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  • The study's findings could extend evidence for acute and chronic methylphenidate administration significantly improving timing and attention functions in children with ADHD including the same tasks.

    “These findings could extend evidence for acute and chronic methylphenidate administration significantly improving timing (66, 94) and attention functions in children with ADHD including the same tasks (22, 29–31).”

    From Differential effects of a single dose of Lisdexamfetamine and Guanfacine on cognitive function in children with ADHD (2025) · cites this paper as [66]

    The Medication Effect section reports improved motor-timing variability after persistent methylphenidate use, but says a single dose was no more effective than placebo. The Conclusions likewise limit the improvement to persistent administration. This source therefore supports the chronic-timing part, not the claim that acute administration significantly improved timing. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • RTV has been associated with poorer academic performance, motor development, and motor timing in children with ADHD.

    “RTV likewise has been associated with poorer academic performance (64), motor development (65), and motor timing (21, 66) in children with ADHD.”

    From Differential effects of a single dose of Lisdexamfetamine and Guanfacine on cognitive function in children with ADHD (2025) · cites this paper as [66]

  • The findings are in line with consistent evidence for higher response variability and slower reaction times in ADHD, thought to reflect poor concentration, attention lapses and poor stimulus anticipation.

    “The findings are in line with consistent evidence for higher response variability and slower reaction times in ADHD, thought to reflect poor concentration, attention lapses and poor stimulus anticipation.6, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49”

    From Disorder-specific functional abnormalities during sustained attention in youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and with Autism (2013) · cites this paper as [48]

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5 of the 84 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Le Moal, A. (1995). Mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic neurons: Func- tional and regulatory roles. In F. Bloom & D. J. Kupfer (Eds.), Psychopharmacology: The fourth generation of progress (pp. 283- 294). New York: Raven Press. An Official Publication of the Amer- ican College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
  2. Milich, R., Hartung, C. M., Martin, C. A., & Haigler, E. D. (1995). Dis- inhibition and underlying processes in hyperactive and aggressive adolescents. In D. K. Routh (Ed.), Disruptive behavior disorder in childhood: Essays honoring Herbert C. Quay (pp. 109-139). New York: Plenum.
  3. Smith, A. (2002). Time estimation and discrimination in children with hyperactivity. Doctoral dissertation, University of London, London.
  4. Sonneville, L. M. J., Njiokiktjien, C., & Hilhorst, R. C. (1991). Methylphenidate-induced changes in ADHD information process- ing. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 285-295.
  5. Tannock, R., Schachar, R., Carr, R. P., Chajczyk, R. P., & Logan, G. D. (1989). Effect of methylphenidate on inhibitory control in hyperac- tive children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17, 473-491.
  6. Zackay, D. (1990). The evasive art of subjective time measurement. In R. A. Block (Ed.), Cognitive models of psychological time (pp. 59- 84). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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Authors
Rubia, K., Noorloos, J., Smith, A., Gunning, B., & Sergeant, J.
Affiliations
  • King's College London (GB)
  • Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam (NL)
  • Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Corresponding author
Rubia, Katya
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2003-06
Volume
31
Issue
3
Pages
301-313
ISSN
  • 0091-0627 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2835
DOI
10.1023/a:1023233630774
OpenAlex
W2159542284
Cited by
170
References
84
Citations by year
2025: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 14
FWCI
6.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Wellcome Trust
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Children's Physical and Motor Development
Keywords
motor timing, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, hyperactivity, methylphenidate, sensorimotor synchronization, time perception, temporal variation, executive function, children
MeSH terms
Central Nervous System Stimulants, Analysis of Variance, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Discrimination, Psychological, Double-Blind Method, Humans, Male, Methylphenidate, Motor Skills, Residence Characteristics, Time Perception, Cross-Over Studies

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