The effectiveness of physical activity with motor-cognitive approach on executive function in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Background and objective: Psychological studies with behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy approaches seek to discover ways to treat attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of 12 weeks of physical activity with motor-cognitive approach on response inhibition and sustained attention in children with the symptoms of ADHD. Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design. The statistical population of the study consisted of all children aged 9 to 11 years with a history of 1 to 2 years of ADHD symptoms in Kermanshah. 30 children with ADHD voluntarily participated in the study and divided randomly in the experimental and control groups. Participants in the experimental group performed motor-cognitive training with moderate-intensity for 12 weeks (2 sessions in week) and 60 minute per session. The present research instrument was the Wechsler’s intelligence scale, the SNAP questionnaire, the stroop test and the continuous performance test. To analyze the data, multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance were used. Results: The results showed a significant improvement in response inhibition (F1,28=63.1, sig=0.001) and sustained attention (F1,28=32.9, sig=0.001) scores in children with ADHD in the experimental group following 12 weeks of training (p≥0.001). Conclusion: 12 weeks of physical activity with motor-cognitive approach had a positive effect on response inhibition and sustained attention in children with ADHD. Therefore, it is recommended that children with ADHD participate in physical activities with motor-cognitive approach to improve response inhibition and sustained attention.