Department of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Ting Kok, HONG KONG.
Marian Wright Edelman Institute for the Study of Children, Youth and Families, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021 Jul 1;53(7):1417-1424. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002609.
Executive dysfunction has been widely reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although studies have clearly documented the cognitive benefits of physical exercise on cognition in children, similar studies in children with ASD are scarce. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of cognitively engaging exercise and noncognitively engaging exercise on executive function in children with ASD.
Sixty-two children diagnosed with ASD (50 males and 12 females, Mage = 9.89 ± 1.53 yr, Mheight = 1.43 ± 0.15 m, and Mweight = 44.69 ± 11.96 kg) were randomly assigned into three groups: learning to ride a bicycle (n = 22), stationary cycling (n = 20), and control (n = 20). Four executive function components (planning, working memory, flexibility, and inhibition) were assessed.
Results revealed significant improvements in all executive function components in the learning to ride a bicycle group (Ps < 0.05) but not in the other two groups after controlling for age and IQ.
Our findings highlight the value of cognitive engagement in exercise programs designed to improve cognition in children with ASD.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童普遍存在执行功能障碍。虽然研究清楚地记录了体育锻炼对儿童认知的益处，但针对 ASD 儿童的类似研究却很少。本研究的目的是比较认知参与型运动和非认知参与型运动对 ASD 儿童执行功能的影响。
62 名被诊断为 ASD 的儿童（50 名男性和 12 名女性，平均年龄为 9.89 ± 1.53 岁，平均身高为 1.43 ± 0.15 米，平均体重为 44.69 ± 11.96 公斤）被随机分为三组：学习骑自行车（n = 22）、固定自行车（n = 20）和对照组（n = 20）。评估了四个执行功能成分（计划、工作记忆、灵活性和抑制）。
结果显示，在控制年龄和智商后，学习骑自行车组的所有执行功能成分都有显著改善（P < 0.05），但其他两组没有改善。
我们的发现强调了认知参与在设计用于改善 ASD 儿童认知的锻炼计划中的价值。
