The Effect of Sports on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Performance Loss Caused by Distractors: Evaluation with MOXO d-CPT

The Effect of Sports on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Performance Loss Caused by Distractors: Evaluation with MOXO d-CPT

Objectives: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood psychiatric disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Treatment modalities should include medication, psychotherapy, and psychosocial treatments. Various studies concluded that sport has a positive effect on attention. The present study evaluates if football significantly improve the possible psychopathology of ADHD and reduce the negative impact of distractors.

Materials and Methods: One hundred forty-seven children from a sport school in a small city in Turkey were included in the current descriptive study. The MOXO distracted-CPT (d-CPT) (distracted-computerized continuous performance test) was applied to all children. Socio-demographic data form, behavior evaluation inventory for executive functions, and Conner’s parent rating scale were applied to the parents.

Results: According to the MOXO d-CPT results, there was no significant difference between the group with possible psychopathology and the group with no possible psychopathology in terms of sport duration. But, there was a negative correlation between sport duration and attention Z score, timing Z score, and impulsivity Z score in the group that included children who showed poor performance or had possible psychopathology at the MOXO d-CPT. Further, the median value of sport duration was 6.03 months in the group with possible psychopathology severity 4, and the median value was 8.06 months in the group with possible psychopathology severity 1-2-3 at MOXO d-CPT. That is, the possible psychopathology severity decreased as sport duration increased. Also, there was a moderately negative correlation between sport duration and the score lost with visual distractor and/or auditory distractor in the MOXO d-CPT.

Conclusion: In conclusion, these findings revealed that exercise in football, a group game, improves or decreases the possible psychopathology severity and reduces the negative impact of visual and/or auditory distractors on MOXO d-CPT parameters.

Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, children, d-CPT, sport, Turkey