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Review
. 2023 Mar 20:17:1139263.
doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1139263. eCollection 2023.

Effects of different physical activity interventions on children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Dong Li  1 , Deng Wang  2 , Wenlai Cui  3 , Jin Yan  4 , Wanli Zang  5 , Chenmu Li  1
Affiliations
Review

Effects of different physical activity interventions on children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Dong Li et al. Front Neurosci. .

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have shown that physical activity interventions positively affect core symptoms and executive functioning in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, comparisons between different physical activity interventions still need to be made. This study is the first to analyze the effects of 10 different types of physical activity on children with ADHD through a network meta-analysis.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for randomized controlled trials on the effects of physical activity interventions on children with ADHD. The search time frame was from database creation to October 2022. Two investigators independently performed literature screening, extraction, and quality assessment. Network meta-analysis was performed with Stata 15.1.

Results: A total of 31 studies were included, and the results indicated that perceptual-motor training was the most effective in terms of motor ability and working memory (SUCRA = 82.7 and 73.3%, respectively). For attention problems and cognitive flexibility, aquatic exercise was the most effective (SUCRA = 80.9 and 86.6%, respectively). For social problems, horsemanship was the most effective (SUCRA = 79.4%). For inhibition switching, cognitive-motor training was the most effective (SUCRA = 83.5%).

Conclusion: Our study revealed that aquatic exercise and perceptual-motor training had a superior overall performance. However, the effects of various physical activity interventions on different indicators in children with ADHD can vary depending on the individual and the intervention's validity. To ensure an appropriate physical activity intervention is selected, it is important to assess the severity of symptoms exhibited by children with ADHD beforehand.

Keywords: ADHD; children; network meta-analysis; neurodevelopmental disorders; physical activity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes flow diagram of the study process.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
(A) Methodological quality of included studies. (B) The distribution of the methodological quality of included studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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