Chronic cardio exercise programs improve executive functions, attention, and behavior in children with ADHD¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q2 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2017 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i3 After 8 weeks of water aerobic and perceptual-motor exercise, children with ADHD showed improved no-go accuracy (d = 0.9) on a Go/No-Go Task, while the wait-list control group did not improve (d = -0.04). → Den Heijer 2017 q2 i? Twelve weeks of moderate-vigorous exercise improved verbal working memory (digit span backward, letter-number sequencing) in both exercise groups but not in the wait-list control group, independent of exercise type. → Den Heijer 2017 (2)

Evidence¶

Den Heijer 2017¶

Den Heijer, A. E., Groen, Y., Tucha, L., Fuermaier, A. B. M., Koerts, J., Lange, K. W., Thome, J., & Tucha, O. (2017). Sweat it out? The effects of physical exercise on cognition and behavior in children and adults with ADHD: a systematic literature review. J Neural Transm 124(Suppl 1):S3–S26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1593-7

q2 · i3 · review · r3

Chang et al. (2014) study as tabulated in the review: non-random assignment to exercise (n = 14) versus wait-list control (n = 13), 8 weeks. The exercise group "showed improved accuracy (Go/No-Go Task) with the no-go- stimulus (d = 0.9)"; the control group's accuracy was unchanged (d = -0.04).

"Children with ADHD in the exercise group showed improved accuracy (Go/No-Go Task) with the no-go- stimulus (d = 0.9) as well as coordination of motor skills, whereas accuracy with the no-go- stimulus remained unchanged over time in the control group (d =- 0.04)"

Den Heijer 2017 (2)¶

Den Heijer, A. E., Groen, Y., Tucha, L., Fuermaier, A. B. M., Koerts, J., Lange, K. W., Thome, J., & Tucha, O. (2017). Sweat it out? The effects of physical exercise on cognition and behavior in children and adults with ADHD: a systematic literature review. J Neural Transm 124(Suppl 1):S3–S26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1593-7

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Ziereis and Jansen (2015) study as tabulated: 39 children with ADHD randomly assigned to two exercise groups and a wait-list control. "Long term positive effects (following 12 weeks of exercise)" on verbal working memory measures were "not found in the control group"; improvements were independent of exercise type.

"Long term positive effects (following 12 weeks of exercise): verbal working memory, digit span backward and letter-number-sequencing (HAWIK-IV), which were not found in the control group"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Aerobic exercise improves executive functioning, most notably inhibitory control, in typically developing children, though evidence is tentative and one week-long study found no main effect — related
• A 13-week randomized exercise trial in overweight children showed a dose-response benefit on executive planning and math achievement, with no effects on other CAS scales or reading — related
• Small pilot studies provide preliminary evidence that exercise interventions improve behavioral symptoms and neuropsychological functioning in children with ADHD — related
• Daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with better executive functioning in boys with ADHD — related
• Non-cardio exercise (yoga, tai chi, walking) shows predominantly positive but questionable acute and chronic effects in children with ADHD
• Acute cardio exercise improves executive functions, response time, and academic performance in children with ADHD — related
• Physical exercise has a significant modest positive effect on functional outcomes (executive functions and motor skills) in children with ADHD — a broader claim this one bears on
• Acute exercise produces an overall small positive effect on cognition, with executive functions benefiting most and effects lasting up to two hours post-exercise — related
• In a randomized three-arm trial, medication but not physical exercise or neurofeedback was related to improved response inhibition and reduced theta power in children with ADHD — related
• Attention and self-regulation skills are trainable in children, with reported behavioral and neural changes across curricula and intervention programs — related