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The optimal exercise for improving inhibitory control in children and adolescents with NDDs: a systematic review and
Tianyang Zhang1, Fanzhi Zeng1, Feng Li2
1Ice and Snow College, Zhangjiakou University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China.
Objective:
Inhibitory control refers to an individual's ability to overcome distractions. This deficit is prevalent among children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), whilst pharmacological treatments carry significant side effects. This study employed a network meta-analysis to compare the effects of different types of exercise on inhibitory control in children and adolescents with NDDs, to provide evidence-based guidance for the selection of optimal clinical interventions.
Methods:
Five electronic databases were searched from inception to March 1, 2025. Randomized controlled trials were selected, the Cochrane tool was used to assess the risk of bias, the standardized mean difference (SMD) was adopted as the effect size, and Stata 17.0 was used to conduct the network meta-analysis. The intervention effects of each exercise modality were ranked through SUCRA analysis.
Results:
This study included a total of 45 studies involving 2, 358 participants (mean age 9.0 ± 2.6 years). The rehabilitation interventions identified and included in this study comprised physical and mind-body exercises, cycling, ball sports, and others. The network meta-analysis showed that aerobic exercise (SMD = 0.71, 95% CI 0.15-1.26, P < 0.05) and mind-body exercise (SMD = 0.81, 95% CI 0.19-1.42, P < 0.05) were significantly superior to the conventional control group. SUCRA probability ranking results indicated that mind-body exercise (SUCRA = 87.1) may be the optimal exercise modality for improving inhibitory control in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that mind-body exercise may be the optimal exercise type for improving inhibitory control function in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and may provide guidance for clinical interventions. However, due to potential influences from factors such as gender, age, and individual differences, this conclusion should be interpreted with caution.
Systematic Review Registration:
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251125648, identifier CRD420251125648.
