Will exercise improve life for children with ADHD? Groundbreaking study in RI thinks so.

A University of Rhode Island study on the exercise patterns and fitness levels of children and teenagers should lead to improvements in the lives of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, says the leader of the study.

The study, which will include children with and without ADHD, should also "support alternative methods of managing childhood ADHD symptoms and provide insight on alternative methods of ADHD diagnosis," said Nicole Logan, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at URI.

"Because physical activity and related outcomes like fitness, muscular strength and body composition are closely associated with neurocognitive function throughout childhood, we expect that children with ADHD will show improvement," Logan said.

Logan recently received $25,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation for the study. The grant was among 15, totaling more than $360,000 the foundation awarded in seed funding to promising medical research projects, the foundation announced last week.

A panel of scientists and physicians helped the foundation evaluate the proposals. The funding came through 22 foundation endowments that help medical researchers win permanent funding from national sources.

“Together with our visionary donors, we are providing the crucial source of early funding that enables local researchers to pursue promising medical advances,” said David N. Cicilline, the foundation’s president and CEO. “Our hope is that their successes will lead to substantial new investments in the state’s research sector that will grow our economy and improve the health of Rhode Islanders.”

How common is ADHD?

As of 2020, six million youths in the U.S. (9.8%) were diagnosed with ADHD, up from 5.5 million in 2007, according to Logan. She says the actual number may be higher, since ADHD may be underdiagnosed.

Children with ADHD often have trouble with making decisions, language and setting goals, according to Logan. It's also often accompanied by other behavioral, mental or emotional disorders, such as depression, anxiety, conduct disorders or autism spectrum disorder, Logan wrote in her grant application.

ADHD is now typically managed with behavioral therapy and drugs, including Adderall and Ritalin, Logan said in an interview. The drugs work well, but there have been problems with shortages, cost and questions about the long-term affects of such drugs, she said.

Regular physical activity and the resulting improved cardiorespiratory fitness have been shown to promote the same executive functions in childhood that ADHD also affects, according to Logan. And physical activity has helped in managing depression and anxiety in children, she wrote.

"We postulate that greater (physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness) may promote greater executive functioning strategies and (electroencephalography) patterns in ADHD children," Logan wrote.

What the study involves

Logan's study will include the use of an electroencephalogram net (EEG) to measure neuroelectric brain activity in test subjects. EEG techniques are commonly used to detect and diagnose many disorders, including epilepsy, sleep and stroke, according to Logan, who sees their potential in diagnosing ADHD.

"EEG techniques also detect neurocognitive functions, such as executive functions, thus EEG is a prime candidate to measure ADHD," she wrote.

Logan has recruited 50 children and adolescents, ages 6 to 17, with and without ADHD for her study. She wants a total of 100. The study "will provide insight into the association between PA levels and neurocognitive functioning in all children, particularly those with ADHD who struggle with daily executive functioning skills," she wrote.

Study participants will take standardized academic achievement tests as well as physical fitness tests, according to Logan. They will also be given a smartwatch to record their physical activity for a week. After that, they will return to Logan's lab, asked to complete cognitive tasks while wearing an electroencephalogram net (EEG) to measure neuroelectric brain activity, according to Logan.

Could the study result in doctors prescribing exercise for treating ADHD?

"I think it's going to be really dependent on the individual," Logan said. "It could be a unique combination of physical activity and drugs."

How to take part in the study?

Anyone interested in participating can email Dr. Logan at nicolelogan@uri.edu or visit the study’s recruitment page at www.loganlaburi.com/participate-in-research.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Linking exercise and ADHD: New study explores alternative treatment