The Effect of Physical Activities on Cognitive Function and Motor Performance of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of physical activities on cognitive function and motor performance of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Through the available sampling method, 45 boys with ADHD were selected as study sample that was equally divided into 3 groups, two experimental groups and one control group, based on pre-test scores. The following tests were administered on participants: Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Numerical Subscale of Wechsler Intelligent Scale for Children- Revised and Visual-Spatial Working Memory of Corsi block-tapping task. The results showed that the verbal working memory and visual-spatial memory of children with ADHD increased during physical activity. Additionally, physical activity led to improve motor performance and manipulation, balance and ball skills of children with ADHD. Our results point to the importance of physical exercise that is effective on the cognitive function and motor performance of children with ADHD.