The comparative efficacy of antecedent exercise and methylphenidate: a single‐case randomized trial

Abstract

This study evaluated the comparative efficacy of antecedent exercise, methylphenidate (Ritalin), and placebo in the reduction of hyperactive behaviour in a pre-school boy. A single-case alternating treatments experimental design was employed for a total of 82 days. The dependent variable was the Conners' Abbreviated Symptom Questionnaire. Antecedent exercise failed to reduce hyperactive behaviour. Methylphenidate produced significantly less hyperactive behaviour than both placebo and antecedent exercise (P = 0.0238). Neither methylphenidate nor antecedent exercise produced notable side-effects as measured by the Monitoring of Side-Effects Scale. These data add to a sparse literature on the effects of antecedent exercise and methylphenidate amongst pre-school children.

Antecedent exercise as a treatment for disruptive behavior: Testing hypothesized mechanisms of action

“…Thus, treatment conditions which might be considered attention-placebos have been compared to AE in two studies (Shively, 1989;Silverstein & Allison, 1994) as well as in the current study, and the results have proven similar for both AE and attention placebo. In all of these studies, AE was not significantly superior to conditions involving primarily nonspecific factors.…”

“…Very few studies have compared AE to conditions beyond a simple notreatment control. Recently, Silverstein and Allison (1994) completed a randomized single-case trial comparing stimulant medication, AE, and attention placebo. In this study, only the medication condition resulted in decreased hyperactive behavior ratings relative to baseline.…”

Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Performance in Children and Adolescents with ADHD: Potential Mechanisms and Evidence-based Recommendations

“…We have, broadly speaking, ignored these changes to focus the present review but we are not ignorant of their importance. Furthermore, and of great importance, exercise has been repeatedly reported to improve ADHD-related behavior (e.g., [109,113,114,115,116,381,382,385,387,388]), although null-findings exist (e.g., [389,390,391]). This highlights exercise as a low-cost, multilateral approach that, if deliberately designed and delivered, could be used in adjunct with traditional pharmacological, psychological and pedagogical intervention strategies to promote cognitive performance in children and adolescents with ADHD.…”

Is There Any Relationship between ADHD Symptoms and Choosing Sports Education at the University?

“…Additionally, PA increases the availability of dopamine and norepinephrine in synaptic clefts of the central nervous system [21]. Anecdotal reports from children and teachers suggest that activity/exercise may mitigate the impulsivity and inattentiveness that characterize ADHD [22,23]. Gapin and Etnier surveyed 68 parents of children diagnosed with ADHD and found that a significantly greater percentage of parents reported positive effects of regular PA on symptoms in general (54%), symptoms of inattention (63%), and symptoms of hyperactivity (53%) than controls [24].…”