The Effects of Exergaming on Attention in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial

HongQing Ji; Shanshan Wu; Junyeon Won; Shiyang Weng; Sujin Lee; Sangmin Seo; Jung-Jun Park

doi:10.2196/40438

The Effects of Exergaming on Attention in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial

JMIR Serious Games. 2023 May 9:11:e40438. doi: 10.2196/40438.

Authors

HongQing Ji^#^{1

2}, Shanshan Wu^{1

2}, Junyeon Won³, Shiyang Weng¹, Sujin Lee², Sangmin Seo⁴, Jung-Jun Park²

Affiliations

¹ School of Physical Education & Health, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China.
² Division of Sport Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
³ Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, TX, United States.
⁴ Busan Children's Mind Clinic, Busan, Republic of Korea.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 37159253
PMCID: PMC10206614
DOI: 10.2196/40438

Abstract

Background: Despite growing evidence showing the effects of exercise and cognitive trainings on enhancing attention, little is known about the combined effects of exergame on attention in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Exergame, a form of exercise using a video game, has both cognitive stimulation and physical activity components and has been shown to improve cognitive function in children.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of exergaming on attention and to compare the effect induced by exergaming with the effect of aerobic exercise on attention in children with ADHD.

Methods: In all, 30 children with ADHD, aged 8-12 years, were randomly divided into an exergaming group (EXG; n=16) or a bicycle exercise group (BEG; n=14). Before and after the 4-week intervention, the Frankfurter Aufmerksamkeits-Inventar (FAIR; Frankfurt Attention Inventory) test was administrated, and event-related potentials during the Go/No-go task was measured to assess attention.

Results: After intervention, both the EXG and BEG had significantly increased selective attention and continuous attention (all P<.001), as well as self-control on the FAIR test (EXG: P=.02 and BEG: P=.005). Similarly, both the EXG and BEG had significantly reduced response time on the Go/No-go test (all P<.001). For the Go response, the N2 amplitude (frontocentral maximal negativity) was significantly increased in Fz (midfrontal line) in the EXG (P=.003) but was not changed in the BEG (P=.97). Importantly, the N2 amplitude in Fz was significantly greater in the EXG compared to the BEG (Go: P=.001 and No-go: P=.008).

Conclusions: Exergaming has the comparable effects to bicycle exercise to enhance attention in children with ADHD, suggesting that exergaming can be used as an alternative treatment for children with ADHD.

Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service KCT0008239; https://tinyurl.com/57e4jtnb.

Keywords: ADHD; N2 amplitude; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; attention function; exergame; response time.

©HongQing Ji, Shanshan Wu, Junyeon Won, Shiyang Weng, Sujin Lee, Sangmin Seo, Jung-Jun Park. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (https://games.jmir.org), 09.05.2023.