Influence of aerobic exercise on inhibitory control of executive functions in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial
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Nehad A Abo-Zaid1,2, Amira M El-Gendy3,4, Islam Hewidy5
1Department of Physical Therapy for Pediatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt.
Insights
Aerobic exercise training significantly improved inhibitory control in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. This intervention shows promise for enhancing executive functions in this population.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) often involves executive function deficits, impacting daily life.
- Inhibitory control, a key executive function, is frequently impaired in children with HCP.
- Targeted interventions are needed to improve executive functions in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of aerobic exercise training on inhibitory control in children with left-sided HCP.
- To evaluate changes in executive function performance following a 12-week intervention program.
Main Methods:
- A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 children (aged 7-11) diagnosed with left-sided HCP.
- Participants were assigned to either a standard physical therapy control group or an aerobic exercise group (physical therapy + cycling).
- The Eriksen Flanker and Stroop Color-Word tests assessed inhibitory control at baseline and after 12 weeks.
Main Results:
- The aerobic exercise group demonstrated significant improvements in response accuracy on both the Flanker and Stroop tests (p=0.001).
- This group also showed significant reductions in congruent reaction times for both tests (p<0.05).
- No significant differences were found between groups for incongruent reaction times.
Conclusions:
- Aerobic exercise training presents a promising approach for enhancing inhibitory control in children with left-sided HCP.
- These findings suggest that exercise interventions can positively influence executive functions in pediatric cerebral palsy.
- Further research could explore optimal exercise parameters for maximizing cognitive benefits.
Objective:
This study investigates the influence of aerobic exercise training on inhibitory control of executive functions in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
Design:
Single-blind randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Outpatient Physical Therapy Clinic.
Participants:
Children aged 7-11 with left-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy with emotional and behavioral dysregulation evidenced by scores >28 on Paediatric Symptom Checklist and GMFCS I or II (n = 60).
Intervention:
Participants were randomly allocated into two equal groups. The control group received standard-of-care physical therapy for 1 h, and the aerobic exercise group received standard-of-care physical therapy for 30 min and moderate-intensity continuous exercise on a bicycle ergometer for 30 min. All groups received treatment three times a week for 12 weeks.
Main Measures:
The Eriksen Flanker test and Stroop Color-Word test were used to assess inhibitory control of executive function at the baseline and after 12 weeks.
Results:
Differences between pre- and post-treatment values in the exercise group showed significant improvement in Flanker response accuracy and Stroop response accuracy (p = 0.001) and significant decreases in Flanker congruent reaction time and Stroop congruent reaction time (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between both groups in Flanker incongruent reaction time and Stroop incongruent reaction time (p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
Aerobic exercise has a promising effect on inhibitory control of executive function in children with left-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
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