Acute Physical Activity, Executive Function, and Attention Performance in Children with Attention-Deficit
Martina Miklós1,2, Dániel Komáromy2,3,4, Judit Futó2
1Doctoral School of Psychology, Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella St. 46, 1064 Budapest, Hungary.
Moderate physical activity improved attention and executive functions in children with ADHD. Acute exercise positively impacted specific tasks for both medicated and treatment-naïve ADHD groups, suggesting potential as a complementary therapy.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder impacting children's cognitive functions.
- Physical activity is increasingly recognized for its potential benefits on cognitive function in children.
- The specific effects of acute moderate physical activity on executive functions and attention in children with ADHD remain an area for further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acute effects of moderate physical activity on executive functions and attention in children with ADHD (medicated and treatment-naïve) compared to typically developing children.
- To compare the impact of a 20-minute moderate physical activity session against a control condition (watching a video) on cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- A total of 150 children (ages 6-12) participated: 50 typically developing, 50 treatment-naïve ADHD, and 50 medicated ADHD.
- Participants underwent cognitive assessments using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI Kid) and the child version of the Test of Attentional Performance (KiTAP).
- Interventions included a 20-minute moderate physical activity session or a 20-minute video-watching control condition.
Main Results:
- Physical activity significantly improved performance in specific cognitive tasks for both medicated and treatment-naïve ADHD groups compared to the control condition.
- The medicated ADHD group showed improvements in reaction time and divided attention.
- The treatment-naïve ADHD group demonstrated enhanced performance in distractibility tasks.
Conclusions:
- Acute moderate physical activity demonstrates a positive influence on specific executive functions and attention in children with ADHD.
- Exercise may serve as a valuable complementary intervention for managing ADHD-related cognitive deficits.
- Further research is needed to determine optimal exercise parameters (type, intensity, duration) for ADHD treatment.
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