Clinical trial NCT06798337: Reward Effects on Cognition, Motor Skills, and Motivation in Children
Official title: The Effect of Reward on Cognitive Functioning, Motor Skills, and Motivation in 8- to 10-Year-Old Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Keywords: attention
motor skills
motivation
reward-based therapy
Lead sponsor: Lithuanian Sports University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-01-29
Enrollment: 67
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 8
Maximum age (years): 10
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Qualitative research
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This interventional study aimed to aimed to evaluate the effects of rewards on cognitive function, motor skills, and motivation in 8- to 10-year-old children with ADHD following 3- and 6-week interventions.

Detailed description: Research problem: children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are inattentive and distractible, which often makes it difficult for physiotherapists to keep them interested, as prolonged activity often causes boredom.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of reward on cognitive function, motor skills and motivation in 8-10 year old children with ADHD after 3 and 6 week interventions.

Objectives of the study:

1. To compare the cognitive function of children receiving conventional physiotherapy with that of children receiving reward therapy. 2. To compare the motor skills of the children receiving conventional physiotherapy with those of the children receiving the reward. 3. To compare the motivation of children receiving conventional physiotherapy with that of children receiving rewards.

The hypothesis of the study is that exercise with rewards improves cognitive function, motor skills and motivation better than conventional physiotherapy in children aged 8 to 10 years with attention deficit disorder.

Research methods: the study included 60 boys diagnosed with ADHD. Age: 8-10 years. Subjects were randomly divided into reward and conventional physiotherapy groups. In both groups, subjects performed exercises for balance and coordination for 3 times per week for 45 min, but in one group subjects received a reward using virtual reality.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosis of ADHD confirmed by a neurologist;
2. male gender;
3. age between 8 and 10 years.
4. ability to read and write;
5. patient's willingness to attend physiotherapy sessions;

Exclusion Criteria:

1. claustrophobia;
2. neurological disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome);
3. chronic medical conditions (e.g., cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases);
4. previous treatment for ADHD (e.g., pharmacological therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy) within the last six months;
5. Medication use.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Static balance
timeFrame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
measure: Attention task with spatial numbers
timeFrame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
measure: Attention task with spatial figures
timeFrame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
measure: Easy figural memory task
timeFrame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
measure: Hard figural memory task
timeFrame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
measure: Visuo-Constructional Ability task
timeFrame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Pediatric motivation Scale (PMot)
timeFrame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Kaunas
country: Lithuania
facility: Department of health promotion and rehabilitation
Study officials:
affiliation: Lithuanian Sports University
name: Vilma VD Dudoniene, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Lithuanian Sports University
name: Vilma Dudoniene, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References: