Effects of therapeutic climbing activities wearing a weighted vest on a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a case study

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic climbing activities on the brain waves and attention of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. [Subject and Methods] The subject of this case study was a 7 year 6-month old child diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This study was based on evidence gathered at 3 distinct stages: a pre-intervention period, 10 intervention periods (2 weeks), and one post-intervention period. The intervention involved therapeutic climbing activities wearing a weighted vest over the course of 4 weeks. The clinical outcome measures were electroencephalography and the Star Cancellation Test. [Results] The mean activation of alpha waves was improved by the therapeutic intervention. During the intervention, the mean activation of alpha waves was the highest at the F3 cortical locus and the lowest at the T4 cortical locus. The average Star Cancellation Test scores were 43 at pre-intervention, 50 during the therapeutic intervention, and 52 at post-intervention. The performance time of the Star Cancellation Test was 240.1 seconds at pre-intervention, 90.2 seconds during the therapeutic intervention, and 60.0 seconds at post-intervention. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that therapeutic climbing activities performed wearing a weighted vest had positive effects on the brain waves and the attention span of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Screening preschool children for fine motor skills: environmental influence

“…It has been suggested that the deficits of ADHD children in memory performance, and the inability to allocate sufficient attention to postural control may contribute to the trend of further deteriorating fine motor skills with postural balance 31 , 32 ) . Lee et al 33 ) suggested that complex interactions between multiple risk factors such as physical fitness levels of children are responsible for ADHD.…”

Bouldering psychotherapy is more effective in the treatment of depression than physical exercise alone: results of a multicentre randomised controlled intervention study

“…A special mode of exercise that has gained increased attention in clinical practice lately and has already been applied as part of the overall treatment plan in several clinics involves bouldering, which is defined as climbing to moderate heights without the use of ropes or harnesses [21,22]. Recent research has shown positive effects of climbing/bouldering not only on various health problems [23][24][25][26][27][28] but also on mental disorders such as anxiety disorders [29], ADHD [29,30], and eating disorders [29]. Several studies have indicated improvements related to climbing/bouldering in a number of domains that are believed to play an important role in the emergence and maintenance of depression, such as cognitive abilities [21,29], self-confidence, self-esteem, self-efficacy [29,31], and social skills [21,29].…”

The effects of a home-based sensorimotor program on executive and motor functions in children with ADHD: a case series

“…This research finding agreed with that of a study in which exercise therapy was found to be effective in improving the executive and physical motor functions of children with ADHD 10 , 11 ) . Some recent studies have reported that appropriate levels of aerobic exercises have positive effects on neurocognitive functions or behavioral control in children with ADHD 8 , 9 , 12 ) . Moreover, some studies suggested that the application of combined exercises including aerobic exercises in children with ADHD have positive effects on not only their executive functions (associated with their prefrontal lobes) but their psychological and physiological functions 3 , 4 ) .…”

“…Studies have reported that children’s interest, amusement, and motivation are increased by exercise therapy 7 ) . It also induces their spontaneous participation and is effective in relieving the symptoms of ADHD 8 ) . Therefore, the aim of the present study was to apply an exercise program in children with ADHD, which had been designed for regular implementation at home, not clinics, and to examine the effects of the program on the children’s executive and motor functions.…”