ERIC Number: EJ1012984
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-May
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1087-0547
EISSN: N/A
Exercise: Applications to Childhood ADHD
Wigal, Sharon B.; Emmerson, Natasha; Gehricke, Jean-G.; Galassetti, Pietro
Journal of Attention Disorders, v17 n4 p279-290 May 2013
ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood, presenting with pervasive and impairing symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, or a combination. The leading hypothesis of the underlying physiology of this disorder of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity is based on catecholamine dysfunction. Pharmacotherapy research indicates that psychostimulants, which are catecholamine agonists, show the greatest efficacy for treating the core symptoms of ADHD. Exercise affects the same dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems that stimulant medications target and is a stressor, which elicits measurable physiological changes. The magnitude of these peripheral alterations is posited as a potential biomarker of ADHD. The hypothesis that exercise training alters the underlying physiology present in ADHD and other medical conditions as well as conceptual issues behind its potential clinical utility is reviewed. (Contains 4 figures.)
Descriptors: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Neurological Impairments, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Children, Drug Therapy, Exercise, Diabetes, Obesity, Pathology, Physiology, Brain
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A