Moving while stimulating the brain: a winning combination for children with ADHD. According to a study led by researcher Fei-Long Zhu, from Beijing Sports University, the combination of physical activity and cognitive exercises could reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity more than sport alone. An additional benefit was also observed on short-term memory.
Attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD) affects many children. Difficulty staying focused, motor agitation or even impulsivity can complicate their daily lives, at school and at home. If treatment is generally based on a combination of drug treatments and psychological support, a new avenue could strengthen these approaches.
A program that works the body and the brain
For this study, researcher Fei-Long Zhu, from Beijing Sports University, followed 107 children aged 6 to 10 for three months.
The young participants were divided into different programs. Some practiced endurance physical activity. Others followed an integrated cognitive-motor program, consisting of three weekly 45-minute sessions combining physical exercises and stimulation of cognitive functions.
The proposed activities required several essential skills:
- The ability to inhibit, for example asking children to catch a ball only in response to certain cues.
- Working memory, with motor sequences to be memorized and then reproduced.
- Cognitive flexibility, thanks to exercises whose rules could change during performance.
Strengthened effects on impulsivity and memory
The results show that all the children saw their hyperactivity decrease and their attentional abilities improve.
But the greatest benefits were observed among participants in the integrated program. The latter also showed an improvement in their working memory as well as better control of impulsivity.
According to the explanations put forward in the study, cognitive exercises particularly use the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in executive functions such as inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility.
At the same time, physical activity promotes the release of molecules capable of strengthening the neuronal connections mobilized during cognitive exercises. Result: the combination of movement and mental stimulation seems to create an environment particularly favorable to brain functioning.
This study suggests that combining physical activity and cognitive training could constitute a promising approach to help children living with ADHD to better manage some of their symptoms on a daily basis.