A Lifestyle Sport Training On Cognitive Outcomes In Children With ADHD: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Lifestyle sport activities (e.g. inline skating) are considered attractive and beneficial physical exercise and might be a great opportunity for managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). PURPOSE: To assess the effects of a 12-week inline skating training (two times a week for 80-min. periods) on measures of executive functions (EFs) in children with ADHD (6-10 years). METHODS: In the first 12 weeks (phase I), 13 boys (group A) received the intervention while 13 boys did not. A second 12 weeks (phase II) immediately followed, with the treatments reversed. Both groups continued their regular treatment/activity throughout the study. The Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) were used to collect data three times, once at study entry (T1), a second time after 12 weeks of intervention (T2), and a third time after another 12 weeks (T3). Changes in dependent variables were examined in relation to treatment, using a two-way ANOVA (group x time) with repeated measured on time (T1 versus T2). Paired t tests were used to examine the treatment effect in group B (T2 versus T3) and potential sustained treatment effect in group A (T2 versus T3). RESULTS: The main findings revealed that (a) group A significantly reduced SOC total moves (-0.60, F = 11.34, p = .003) and increased WCST total correct (+15.39, F = 18.84, p < .001) as compared with group B at T2, (b) group A significantly performed less SOC total moves (-1.02, F = 35.16, p < .001), fewer WCST perseverative responses (-13.08, F = 5.79, p = .033), less WCST perseverative errors (-9.39, F = 6.38, p = .027), and more WCST total correct (+12.70, F = 10.98, p = .006) after the intervention compared with baseline at T1, (c) significantly more WCST total correct (+20.08, t = 9.30, p < .001), fewer WCST perseverative responses (-13.69, t = -2.55, p = .026), less WCST perseverative errors (-9.61, t = -2.73, p = .018), fewer WCST non-perseverative errors (-5.84, t = -2.22, p = .047), more WCST conceptual level response (+15.54, t = 3.77, p = .003), and more SOC problems solved in minimum moves (+1.54, t = 2.22, p = .047) were also observed for group B subsequent to the phase II, and (d) group A merely maintained the improvement through the intervention during phase I. CONCLUSIONS: A 12-week inline skating training appears to be an effective program for EFs in children with ADHD. Taiwan MOST grant 103-2410-H-017-026-MY3 & MOST 106-2410-H-017-022-MY3