Vol 16, Issue 3

Efficacy of a 6-week Novel Exergaming Intervention Guided by Heart Rate Zones on Aerobic Performance in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Feasibility Study

April 1, 2023 - By 

Authors

Trent Yamamoto, University of California, Los Angeles
Bilal Pandit, University of California, Los Angeles
Michael Viggiano, University of California, Los Angeles
Mitchell S. Mologne, University of California, Los Angeles
Kristin Daniels, University of California, Los Angeles
David Gomez, University of California, Los Angeles
Brett A. Dolezal, University of California, Los Angeles
International Journal of Exercise Science 16(3): 710-720, 2023.
DOI: 10.70252/JNJV1440

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a novel exergaming intervention guided by heart rate zones for children and adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Eight study participants (6 females, 2 males, mean age= 11.4±1.4 years old) participated twice weekly over six weeks to complete twelve multimodal exergaming sessions. Participants significantly improved 6MWT from baseline to week 6 (575.4±55.0 m to 732.8±58.9 m; P<0.01), which conferred a 31% improvement in estimated VO2max (31.5±5.5 ml/kg/min to 40.9±5.9 ml/kg/min), respectively. There was an upward trend of the mean percentage of time spent in the intermediate HR zones over the course of the 6-week intervention. These findings may provide value to the field as they support the clinical utility and promising effects of cardiovascular improvement in children who engage in a compelling exergaming intervention. In doing so, this establishes a preliminary understanding of how to augment routine physical exercise through exergaming using visually targeted heart rate zones.

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