ORLANDO, Fla., May 25 (UPI) -- Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder can actually concentrate better if allowed to fidget, a University of Central Florida study says.
A team of researchers at the Orlando university said by studying 23 preteen male subjects, 12 of whom had been diagnosed with ADHD, they found the ADHD subjects began to noticeably fidget when facing short-term memory problems, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel said Monday.
Dr. Mark Rapport, who led the study, said fidgeting allows ADHD sufferers to keep their minds and bodies active since their brains typically do not produce enough dopamine to maintain alertness.
The ADHD subjects in Rapport's study routinely fidgeted when tasked with memory problems, but those same kids were able to sit still when able to mentally relax and watch a scene from the movie "Star Wars."
"Everybody moves more when they're concentrating on the tasks, not just the ADHD kids," Rapport told the Sentinel.
"But the ADHD kids moved significantly more," he added.
