Effects of Different Dual-Task Exercises on Motor and Cognitive Functions in Children With Mild Mental Retardation
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mental Retardation
Sponsor: Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

STUDY PROTOCOL WİTH STATİSTİCAL ANALYSİS PLAN 
Document Date:30.08.2024 
The Effects of Different Dual-Task Exercises on Motor and Cognitive Functions in 
Children with Mild Mental Retardation 
Background and Rational 
Children with mild intellectual disability (MID) often experience delays in cognitive, language, 
and motor development compared to their peers. These deficits affect balance, coordination, 
daily functional activities, and quality of life. Literature indicates that dual-task training—
performing motor and/or cognitive tasks simultaneously—can enhance balance, functional 
mobility, walking performance, and executive functions in various populations. However, to 
date, there is no study examining the effect of motor-motor and motor-cognitive dual-task 
exercises specifically in children with MID. This study aims to fill that gap. 
Objectives 
To investigate the effectiveness of motor-motor and motor-cognitive dual-task training on 
improving motor and cognitive functions in children diagnosed with mild intellectual disability. 
Hypotheses 
• 
H0: Dual-task exercises have no effect on motor and cognitive functions in children 
with mild intellectual disability. 
• 
H1: Dual-task exercises improve motor and cognitive functions in children with mild 
intellectual disability. 
Participants 
Inclusion Criteria: 
• 
Age between 8–12 years 
• 
Diagnosed with mild intellectual disability (IQ: 51–70) 
• 
Able to understand and follow Turkish instructions 
• 
Parental informed consent obtained 
Exclusion Criteria: 
• 
Vision/hearing impairments 
• 
Metabolic or systemic disease 
• 
Regular participation in structured exercise programs 
Sample 
Size: 
Based on a priori power analysis (effect size: 0.849, power: 95%, alpha: 0.05), 27 participants 
are required. With a 20% drop-out margin, 33 children (11 per group) will be recruited. 
Study Design 

Randomized controlled trial with three groups: 
1. Motor-Motor Dual-Task Group 
2. Motor-Cognitive Dual-Task Group 
3. Control Group 
Each intervention group will receive supervised training twice a week for 6 weeks (40 minutes 
per session). The control group will perform home-based balance and walking exercises with 
parental monitoring. 
Outcome Measures 
Motor Functions: 
• 
Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) 
• 
Tandem Walking Test (TWT) 
• 
Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) 
Cognitive Function: 
• 
Stroop Test – TBAG Form 
Secondary Outcome: 
• 
PedsQL – Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 
Pre- and post-intervention assessments will be conducted for all participants. (6 weeks) 
Statistical Analysis Plan 
All statistical analyses will be performed using SPSS version 20.0. 
• 
Descriptive statistics (mean, SD, percentages) will summarize demographic and 
baseline data. 
• 
Normality of data will be assessed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov or Shapiro-Wilk tests. 
• 
Between-group comparisons: 
o Parametric data: One-Way ANOVA (post-hoc: Tukey) 
o Non-parametric data: Kruskal-Wallis test (follow-up: Mann-Whitney U) 
• 
Within-group comparisons: 
o Parametric: Paired t-test 
o Non-parametric: Wilcoxon signed-rank test 
• 
Demographic data: 
o Numerical: Independent Samples t-test 
o Categorical: Chi-square test 
• 
Significance level: p < 0.05 
• 
Effect size (Cohen’s d, Eta²) will be reported where applicable.