Effects of Physical Activity, Exercise and Sport on Executive Function in Young People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review

Felipe Montalva-Valenzuela, Oscar Andrades-Ramírez, Antonio Castillo-Paredes

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that negatively affects the inattention, disorganization, and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity in children and adolescents who suffer from it, included cases being reported that continue into adulthood. This disorder impairs social, academic, emotional, psychological, and health system functioning due to its high cost of treatment. The present systematic review aims to analyze the effects of physical activity, exercise, and sports on the executive function in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD through the scientific literature. The results show that the practice of physical activity, exercise, or sport produces improvements in executive function in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD, mainly through aerobic exercise. A 20 min session of physical activity, sport, or exercise leads to improvements in executive functions in children and adolescents with ADHD. It can be concluded that the practice of physical activity, exercise, and sport generate improvements on executive functions in children and adolescents with ADHD, mainly through aerobic exercise.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)61-76
Number of pages16
JournalEuropean Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2022

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • Adolescents
  • Children
  • Complementary treatment
  • Sport therapy

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Effects of Physical Activity, Exercise and Sport on Executive Function in Young People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this