Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Aug;32(8):1297-1312.
doi: 10.1111/sms.14192. Epub 2022 Jun 5.

The impacts of a combined exercise on executive function in children with ADHD: A randomized controlled trial

Xiao Liang  1 , Hui Qiu  2 , Peng Wang  3 , Cindy H P Sit  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The impacts of a combined exercise on executive function in children with ADHD: A randomized controlled trial

Xiao Liang et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aerobic and neurocognitive exercise with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels on executive functions (EFs) and sleep quality in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: In a parallel two-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, 80 children with ADHD aged 6-12 years (Mage = 8.46 ± 1.50) were assigned to either a 12-week combined aerobic-and neurocognitive-exercise experimental group (EG; three sessions per week for 60-min) or a wait-list control group (CG). Forty children with typical development aged 6-12 years (Mage = 8.49 ± 1.51) were recruited as healthy controls (HC). A Polar heart rate (HR) monitor was used to track the exercise intensity (60%-80% predicted HRmax) throughout the intervention. Three core EFs (inhibitory control [IC], working memory [WM], and cognitive flexibility [CF]) were assessed by computer-based neurocognitive tasks, and sleep quality and physical activity (PA) levels were assessed by self-report questionnaires.

Results: The results showed that the exercise intervention was beneficial for improving three core EFs, shortening sleep latency and decreasing sleep disturbances. The intervention effects on EFs and sleep quality appeared to be sustained for at least 12 weeks in EG. In addition, children with ADHD after intervention showed non-significant differences in IC, CF and multiple sleep quality outcomes compared with HC. Furthermore, a significant PA-EFs-sleep correlation was found in children with ADHD after the intervention.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that a 12-week combined aerobic and neurocognitive exercise intervention appears to be an effective treatment program for EFs and sleep quality in children with ADHD.

Keywords: children with ADHD; executive functions; physical activity; sleep quality.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Sayal K, Prasad V, Daley D, Ford T, Coghill D. ADHD in children and young people: prevalence, care pathways, and service provision. Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5:175-186.
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.
    1. Wolraich ML, Wibbelsman CJ, Brown TE, et al. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among adolescents: a review of the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical implications. Pediatrics. 2005;115:1734-1746.
    1. Diamond A. Executive functions. Annu Rev Psychol. 2013;64:135-168.
    1. Donnelly JE, Hillman CH, Castelli D, et al. Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: a systematic review. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48:1197-1222.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources