Physical Activity, Executive Function and ADHD

Research in Developmental Disabilities published research on 43 children with ADHD between 7-12 years old to determine if there are effects of different types of physical activity on executive functioning.  A 12 week training program included two different groups: experimental group 1 (EG1) included 13 children who participated in ball handling, balance and manual dexterity and experimental group 2 (EG2) included 14 children who participated in sports without a specific focus.  There was also a control group (CG) who received no intervention.  Each participant was evaluated for working memory and motor performance before, immediately after the first training week and one week after the last session.

The results indicated the following:

1.  after the 12-week intervention period, several measures of the EG1 and EG2s significantly improved over time.

2.  between group comparisons demonstrated significant improvements in both EG1 and EG2 compared to the CG in variables assessing working memory performance and motor performance.

The researchers concluded that long-term physical activity has a positive effect on executive functions of children with ADHD, regardless of the specificity of the activity.   The researchers recommended that regular physical activity can be used as a complementary or alternative non-pharmacologic treatment for ADHD.

Reference:  Susanne Ziereis and Petra Jansen.  Effects of physical activity on executive function and motor performance in children with ADHD.  Research in Developmental Disabilities
Volume 38, March 2015, Pages 181–191.

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