Effect of Acute Exercise on Executive Function in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the effect of acute aerobic exercise on executive function in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Forty children with ADHD were randomly assigned into exercise or control groups. Participants in the exercise group performed a moderate intensity aerobic exercise for 30 min, whereas the control group watched a running/exercise-related video. Neuropsychological tasks, the Stroop Test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), were assessed before and after each treatment. The results indicated that acute exercise facilitated performance in the Stroop Test, particularly in the Stroop Color-Word condition. Additionally, children in the exercise group demonstrated improvement in specific WCST performances in Non-perseverative Errors and Categories Completed, whereas no influences were found in those performances in the control group. Tentative explanations for the exercise effect postulate that exercise allocates attention resources, influences the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and is implicated in exercise-induced dopamine release. These findings are promising and additional investigations to explore the efficacy of exercise on executive function in children with ADHD are encouraged.
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Exercise can decrease problem behaviors such as repetitive actions and self-injury by promoting relaxation and increasing the release of neurotransmitters like endorphins and dopamine, which enhance brain function.
“Additionally, exercise can decrease problem behaviors such as repetitive actions and self-injury by promoting relaxation and increasing the release of neurotransmitters like endorphins and dopamine, which enhance brain function [180].”
From Unraveling the Connections: Eating Issues, Microbiome, and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder (2025) · cites this paper as [180]
Parallel cognitive improvements are observed across heterogeneous populations with dysfunctional dopaminergic/norepinephrine functioning, including Parkinson's disease, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar disorder, with exercise-related increases in dopamine production.
“In addition, parallel cognitive improvements are observed across heterogeneous populations with dysfunctional dopaminergic/norepinephrine functioning, including Parkinson’s disease (63), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (64, 65), and bipolar disorder (66), with exercise-related increases in dopamine production (67).”
From The Role of Exercise in Management of Mental Health Disorders: An Integrative Review (2021) · cites this paper as [64]
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References 68 · Cited by 261
- Authors
- Chang, Y.-K., Liu, S., Yu, H.-H., & Lee, Y.-H.
- Affiliations
- National Taiwan Sport University (TW)
- National Chung Cheng University (TW)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, S.
- ORCID
- Lee, Y.-H.
- Venue
- Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2012-02-03
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 225-237
- ISSN
- 0887-6177 (ISSN-L)
- 1873-5843
- OpenAlex
- W2011822081
- Cited by
- 261
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 13.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- acute aerobic exercise, executive function, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, children, Stroop task, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dopamine release, attentional resources
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Analysis of Variance, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Blood Pressure, Child, Cognition Disorders, Exercise Therapy, Physical Exertion, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Executive Function
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