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An investigation of the acute effects of aerobic exercise on executive function and cortical excitability in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

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Abstract

Previous studies have shown that aerobic exercise has beneficial effects on executive function in adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The underlying mechanisms could be partially due to aerobic exercise-induced cortical excitability modulation. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of acute aerobic exercise on executive functions and cortical excitability and the association between these phenomena in adolescents with ADHD. The study was conducted using a complete crossover design. Executive functions (inhibitory control, working memory, and planning) and cortical excitability were assessed in twenty-four drug-naïve adolescents with ADHD before and after acute aerobic exercise or a control intervention. Inhibitory control, working memory, and planning improved after acute aerobic exercise in adolescents with ADHD. Moreover, cortical excitability monitored by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) decreased after intervention in this population. Additionally, improvements in inhibitory control and working memory performance were associated with enhanced cortical inhibition. The findings provide indirect preliminary evidence for the assumption that changes in cortical excitability induced by aerobic exercise partially contribute to improvements in executive function in adolescents with ADHD.

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Acknowledgements

The study is supported by the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, grant “112-2314-B-002-119-MY3”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School and graduate institute of physical therapy, National Taiwan University, No.17, Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei, 10055, Taiwan

    Hsiao-I Kuo, Jia-Ling Sun & Jung-Chi Chang

  2. Department Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany

    Michael Nitsche

  3. Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Zhongshan S Road, Taipei, 10055, Taiwan

    Hsiao-I Kuo

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  1. Hsiao-I Kuo
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  2. Jia-Ling Sun
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  3. Michael Nitsche
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  4. Jung-Chi Chang
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Contributions

H.I.K., M.N. and J.C.C. designed the work. H.I.K., J.C.C., and J.L.S. conducted the work. H.I.K., and J.L.S. prepared the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hsiao-I Kuo.

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Kuo, HI., Sun, JL., Nitsche, M. et al. An investigation of the acute effects of aerobic exercise on executive function and cortical excitability in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-024-02467-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-024-02467-x

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