Effect of an acute bout of exercise on executive function and sleep in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder

Background and aims

The present study aimed to examine the effect of an acute bout of circuit-base exercise on executive function, visual perception and sleep parameters in neurodiverse children.

Methods

After familiarisation, 34 children (4 female) with ADHD and/or ASD completed two trials (30-min circuit-based exercise (E) or a rested control (C) trial) in a randomised, counterbalanced, crossover design. Participants completed cognitive function tests (Stroop test, Sternberg Paradigm and Visual Search Test) at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and the morning after exercise. Participants were provided with a wrist actigraph to wear overnight to determine sleep duration, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, and sleep latency. Statistical analyses were conducted via ANCOVA, with diagnosis included as a covariate.

Results

Accuracy on the Stroop test (complex level) was better maintained following circuit-based exercise when compared with rest immediately post-exercise (E: 1.88% decreased accuracy; C: 4.73% decreased accuracy, p = 0.009), and on day two (E: 1.22% increased accuracy; C: 6.37% decreased accuracy; p < 0.001). Accuracy on the Sternberg Paradigm (5-item level) was improved immediately post-exercise on the exercise trial when compared with rest (E: 0.37% decreased accuracy; C: 7.29% decreased accuracy; p = 0.011). Improvements in accuracy across both tests were at the expense of response time, which was slower on the exercise trial (all p < 0.05). Sleep parameters did not differ across trials (all p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Moderate intensity circuit-based exercise is an ecologically valid exercise modality that, acutely, improves executive function (compared to rest), which may alleviate the impaired executive function in children with ADHD and ASD.