Effect of Physical Exercise on Cognition and Emotion in Children with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most frequent disorder in children. The symptom of ADHD can characterized by inattention, poor sleeping, short spatial memory and physical exercise may decrease these symptoms. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of physical exercise on the cognition and emotion development in children with ADHD. Thirty children (6-12 years old) with ADHD in Beijing were randomly divided into two groups: physical exercise group (PG) and control group (CG). After 10 weeks of physical exercise, cognition and emotion in the physical exercise group were enhanced more significantly than that of the control group. Our results testify that physical exercise in 6-12 years old children with ADHD has benefit to the development of their cognition and emotion. We conclude that physical exercise is important for the cognition and emotion development in 6-12 years old children with ADHD.