Effectiveness of a game-based high-intensity interval training on executive function and other health indicators of children with ADHD: A three-arm partially-blinded randomized controlled trial

Background: Children with ADHD demand for effective intervention with minimum side effect to improve executive function (EF) and health well-being. Method: This study used a three-arm partially-blinded randomized controlled trial to test the effects of two different kinds of 8-week game-based training programs (game-based HIIT program, GameHIIT; and game-based structured aerobic exercise program, GameSAE) on EF and other health indicators of children with ADHD, which was compared with a non-treatment control group. Results: A total of 49 children with ADHD completed the program. Analyses of EF tests and parental survey indicated that (i) there is no significant intragroup difference among all measures between pre-/post-intervention tests for two game-based intervention groups. The only significant intergroup difference was observed in self-monitor score of parent-reported child's EF between GameSAE group and the control (large effect). Similarly, cerebral hemodynamic responses also found no significant group effect for all EF tests. However, the time effects were observed in several channels in the GameHIIT group in two EF tests (Color Words Stroop Test and Tower of London Test). No significant change of participants' overall ADHD symptoms was found in the pre-/post-tests for three groups. Nonetheless, further analyses revealed that both of two game-based training programs exhibited the significant positive effects on child's PA levels and the large effects on levels of physical fitness, when they were compared to the control. Conclusion: By this study, a significant enhancement in physical fitness and PA levels were found in both game-based PA interventions when they were compared with control group. However, the effectiveness of game-based PA interventions on improving EF or reducing ADHD symptoms remains unclear. This implies that a larger intervention dosage or a tailored intervention design may be warranted to improve the EF of children with ADHD.