Acute Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Executive Function and Attention in Adult Patients With ADHD

Bibliographic Data

ID15516755
AuthorsAylin Mehren (0000-0001-9443-9281, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, corresponding author), Jale Özyurt (0000-0002-7894-9932, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg), Alexandra P Lam (0000-0001-5533-4655, University of Bonn), Mirko Brandes (0000-0003-2926-4758, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS), Helge Müller (University of Bonn), Helge H O Müller, Christiane M Thiel (0000-0003-4788-4301, Hearing4all), Alexandra Philipsen (0000-0001-6876-518X, University of Bonn)
Year2019
Volume10
Pages132-132
Publication date2019-03-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00132
PMID30971959
OpenAlexW2922910775
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited86

Aerobic exercise can improve cognitive functions in healthy individuals and in various clinical groups, which might be particularly relevant for patients with ADHD. This study investigated the effects of a single bout of aerobic exercise on attention and executive functions in adult patients with ADHD, including functional MRI to examine the underlying neural mechanisms. On two different days, 23 adult patients with ADHD and 23 matched healthy controls performed in a flanker task, while functional MR images were collected, following 30 min of continuous stationary cycling with moderate intensity as well as after a control condition (watching a movie). Behavioral performance and brain activation were tested for differences between groups and conditions and for interactions to investigate whether exercise improves executive function to a greater extent in patients compared to healthy controls. Exercise significantly improved reaction times in congruent and incongruent trials of the flanker task in patients with ADHD but not in healthy controls. We found no changes in brain activation between the two conditions for either group. However, a subgroup analysis of ADHD patients with a higher degree of cardiorespiratory fitness revealed decreased activation in premotor areas during congruent trials and in premotor and medial frontal cortex during incongruent trials in the exercise compared to the control condition. Our results indicate exercise-induced improvements in attention and processing speed in patients with ADHD, demonstrating that adult patients with ADHD may benefit from an acute bout of exercise. These findings could be of high relevance for developing alternative treatment approaches for ADHD. In addition, results of the current study contribute to elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exercise on cognition and to better understand the role of cardiorespiratory fitness on these effects

Aerobic exercise · Audiology · Brain activity and meditation · Cardiorespiratory fitness · Cognition · Electroencephalography · Executive functions · Physical medicine and rehabilitation · Physical therapy · Premotor cortex · Working memory · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder · Functional Brain Connectivity Studies · Medicine · Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies · Neuroscience · Psychology

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