Although often considered separately, the primary motor cortex (M1) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) engage in continuous communication—especially relevant in disorders like ADHD.
🎯 The primary motor cortex (M1), located in the precentral gyrus, is responsible for executing voluntary movement—it sends the final motor command to the muscles.
Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex, especially dorsolateral and ventromedial areas, functions as the brain's “CEO,” managing decision-making, planning, inhibitory control, and working memory.
But why consider them together?
Because motor actions and executive functions are deeply interconnected. In children with ADHD, disruptions in both motor regulation and executive control reflect shared dopaminergic circuitry.
🔄 A landmark resting‑state fMRI study found that children with ADHD (and/or developmental coordination disorder) exhibited reduced functional connectivity between the primary motor cortex and key regions—including bilateral inferior frontal gyri, insula, putamen, pallidum, supramarginal and angular gyri—compared to typically developing controls .
This evidence suggests that altered connectivity between M1 and prefrontal-related networks contributes to motor and attention difficulties in ADHD.
📉 These findings shift the view of ADHD beyond isolated executive dysfunction to a network-level perspective where sensorimotor integration and cognitive control are co‑dysregulated.
🔬 Para explorar mais essas interações, veja o estudo:
👉 “Functional connectivity of neural motor networks is disrupted in children with developmental coordination disorder and attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder”
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