Neural Effects of Physical Activity and Movement Interventions in Individuals With Developmental Disabilities–A Systematic Review

Abstract

Individuals with developmental disabilities present with perceptuo-motor, social communication, and cognitive impairments that often relate to underlying atypical brain structure and functioning. Physical activity/movement interventions improve behavioral performance of individuals with and without developmental disabilities. Majority of the evidence on potential neural mechanisms explaining the impact of physical activity/movement interventions is based on studies in individuals with typical development; there is a dearth of systematic reviews synthesizing the neural effects of physical activity/movement interventions in individuals with developmental disabilities. In this systematic review, we have gathered evidence on the neural effects of physical activity/movement interventions from 32 papers reporting substantial neural effects and behavioral improvements in individuals with developmental disabilities. Chronic intervention effects (multiple sessions) were greater than acute intervention effects (single session). Specifically, using electroencephalogram, functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, studies found physical activity/movement intervention-related changes in neural activity, indicating normalization of cortical arousal in individuals with attention-deficit /hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), increased social brain connectivity in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and more efficient executive functioning processes in individuals with a wide range of other developmental disabilities. Despite promising results, more research is clearly needed in this area with larger sample sizes, using standardized neuroimaging tools/variables, and across multiple diagnoses to further explore the neural mechanisms underlying physical activity/movement interventions and to replicate findings from the present review.

A case study on the effect of light and colors in the built environment on autistic children’s behavior

“…A significant instance of pervasive development being witnessed throughout the globe is the complex neurodevelopment condition called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which impacts behavior, communication, and social interaction (1)(2)(3)(4). The scientific community has conducted several research studies in recent years to assess the incidence and prevalence of ASD (5)(6)(7). A significant increase in ASD could be globally recognized (8)(9)(10).…”

Bibliometric analysis study on cognitive function in developmental coordination disorder from 2010 to 2022

“…DCD can occur alone or with other diseases and disorders. In particular, it can coexist with ADHD ( Su et al, 2022 ). In addition, studies have confirmed that children with DCD exhibit sensorimotor disorders, balance and postural control disorders ( Fong et al, 2013 ), motor planning deficits ( Hyde and Wilson, 2013 ), and visuospatial deficits ( Alloway, 2011 ), which are important factors in the occurrence of DCD.…”

Simultaneous multimodal fNIRS-EEG recordings reveal new insights in neural activity during motor execution, observation, and imagery

“…For this reason, we expect that the AON network will be active during MI, ME, and MO, but primary motor regions will show greater activity during ME. This study aims to elucidate the differences between ME, MO, and MI during an ecologically valid EEG-fNIRS paradigm, better characterizing “target neural mechanisms” that may benefit future therapies or interventions 30 .…”