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Psychostimulant Effects on Motor and Cognitive Function in Adults Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Cundari, Maurizio LU orcid ; Kanold, Lukas ; Bergwall, David ; Vestberg, Susanna LU ; Hansson, Amelia LU orcid ; Kirchhoff, Lena LU ; Gustafsson, Peik LU orcid and Rasmussen, Anders LU orcid (2026) In International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the performance on motor and cognitive functions of adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with or without psychostimulant medication, and controls. A secondary objective is to investigate differences on test performance across varying levels of disorder severity.

METHODS: We included patients with unmedicated ADHD (n=52), patients with ADHD treated with psychostimulants (n=40), and controls (n=80). A multimodal set of motor and cognitive tests was administered to evaluate cerebellar and motor functions, attention and processing speed, executive functions, visuospatial perception, and visuospatial abilities.

RESULTS: Both patient groups performed... (More)

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the performance on motor and cognitive functions of adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with or without psychostimulant medication, and controls. A secondary objective is to investigate differences on test performance across varying levels of disorder severity.

METHODS: We included patients with unmedicated ADHD (n=52), patients with ADHD treated with psychostimulants (n=40), and controls (n=80). A multimodal set of motor and cognitive tests was administered to evaluate cerebellar and motor functions, attention and processing speed, executive functions, visuospatial perception, and visuospatial abilities.

RESULTS: Both patient groups performed significantly worse than controls across all functions. No significant performance differences were observed between the medicated and unmedicated ADHD groups when disorder severity was not considered. However, some differences emerged when stratified by disorder severity. Patients with moderate to severe unmedicated ADHD showed more impairments in sensorimotor functions compared to the medicated ADHD, while those with mild unmedicated ADHD displayed lower scores on visuospatial perception compared to medicated ADHD. Regression analysis indicated that education, anxiety, and sleep disturbances minimally affect test performance.

CONCLUSIONS: In summary, psychostimulant medication did not show consistent overall differences in motor and cognitive performance among adults with ADHD. Importantly, when stratifying by disorder severity, some group-level differences emerged, underscoring the need to account for disorder severity in future research and clinical assessment.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:41885542
ISSN
1469-5111
DOI
10.1093/ijnp/pyag013
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the CINP.
id
304307e5-cb0c-4e9a-b4d1-190a5c6b82b2
date added to LUP
2026-03-30 09:10:56
date last changed
2026-03-30 09:17:52
@article{304307e5-cb0c-4e9a-b4d1-190a5c6b82b2,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the performance on motor and cognitive functions of adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with or without psychostimulant medication, and controls. A secondary objective is to investigate differences on test performance across varying levels of disorder severity.</p><p>METHODS: We included patients with unmedicated ADHD (n=52), patients with ADHD treated with psychostimulants (n=40), and controls (n=80). A multimodal set of motor and cognitive tests was administered to evaluate cerebellar and motor functions, attention and processing speed, executive functions, visuospatial perception, and visuospatial abilities.</p><p>RESULTS: Both patient groups performed significantly worse than controls across all functions. No significant performance differences were observed between the medicated and unmedicated ADHD groups when disorder severity was not considered. However, some differences emerged when stratified by disorder severity. Patients with moderate to severe unmedicated ADHD showed more impairments in sensorimotor functions compared to the medicated ADHD, while those with mild unmedicated ADHD displayed lower scores on visuospatial perception compared to medicated ADHD. Regression analysis indicated that education, anxiety, and sleep disturbances minimally affect test performance.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: In summary, psychostimulant medication did not show consistent overall differences in motor and cognitive performance among adults with ADHD. Importantly, when stratifying by disorder severity, some group-level differences emerged, underscoring the need to account for disorder severity in future research and clinical assessment.</p>}},
  author       = {{Cundari, Maurizio and Kanold, Lukas and Bergwall, David and Vestberg, Susanna and Hansson, Amelia and Kirchhoff, Lena and Gustafsson, Peik and Rasmussen, Anders}},
  issn         = {{1469-5111}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology}},
  title        = {{Psychostimulant Effects on Motor and Cognitive Function in Adults Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyag013}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/ijnp/pyag013}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}