Neural Effects of Physical Activity and Movement Interventions in Individuals With Developmental Disabilities-A Systematic Review

Wan-Chun Su; Nidhi Amonkar; Corina Cleffi; Sudha Srinivasan; Anjana Bhat

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.794652

Neural Effects of Physical Activity and Movement Interventions in Individuals With Developmental Disabilities-A Systematic Review

Front Psychiatry. 2022 Feb 15:13:794652. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.794652. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Wan-Chun Su^{1

2}, Nidhi Amonkar³, Corina Cleffi^{1

2}, Sudha Srinivasan^{3

4

5}, Anjana Bhat^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.
² Biomechanics and Movement Science Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.
³ Physical Therapy Program, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States.
⁴ Institute for Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP), University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States.
⁵ The Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS), University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States.
⁶ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.

Abstract

Individuals with developmental disabilities present with perceptuo-motor, social communication, and cognitive impairments that often relate to underlying atypical brain structure and functioning. Physical activity/movement interventions improve behavioral performance of individuals with and without developmental disabilities. Majority of the evidence on potential neural mechanisms explaining the impact of physical activity/movement interventions is based on studies in individuals with typical development; there is a dearth of systematic reviews synthesizing the neural effects of physical activity/movement interventions in individuals with developmental disabilities. In this systematic review, we have gathered evidence on the neural effects of physical activity/movement interventions from 32 papers reporting substantial neural effects and behavioral improvements in individuals with developmental disabilities. Chronic intervention effects (multiple sessions) were greater than acute intervention effects (single session). Specifically, using electroencephalogram, functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, studies found physical activity/movement intervention-related changes in neural activity, indicating normalization of cortical arousal in individuals with attention-deficit /hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), increased social brain connectivity in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and more efficient executive functioning processes in individuals with a wide range of other developmental disabilities. Despite promising results, more research is clearly needed in this area with larger sample sizes, using standardized neuroimaging tools/variables, and across multiple diagnoses to further explore the neural mechanisms underlying physical activity/movement interventions and to replicate findings from the present review.

Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; autism spectrum disorder; developmental disabilities; exercise; movement interventions; neural effects; neuroimaging; physical activity.

Publication types

Systematic Review

Grants and funding

P20 GM103446/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States