A 12-week exercise programme has a positive effect on everyday executive function in young people with Down syndrome: a pilot non-randomised controlled trial.
Twelve weeks of mentor-led gym workouts give teens and adults with Down syndrome a small but real lift in everyday executive skills.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers ran a 12-week FitSkills program. Teens and adults with Down syndrome lifted weights and cycled with a student mentor.
The program met twice a week at a community gym. Staff tracked everyday executive skills before and after.
What they found
Parents saw a small but real boost in everyday executive function. Other thinking tests did not change.
The gain showed up on the BRIEF global score. Kids planned and switched tasks a bit better at home and school.
How this fits with other research
Shields et al. (2013) used the same mentor-in-gym model. They found strength and activity gains, but no work-skill change. The new study adds executive function as a payoff.
Gandhi et al. (2022) ran DSFit, also 12 weeks, but without mentors. They saw fitness gains only. Mentors may be the key to cognitive change.
Barton et al. (2019) tried computer brain-training. Tests improved, yet parents saw no daily change. Real-life exercise beat screen work for carry-over.
Why it matters
You can add FitSkills to transition plans today. Pair clients with volunteer college students. Meet at a local gym twice a week. Track parent BRIEF forms at week 0 and 12. Expect small but visible gains in planning and flexibility. No extra clinic space needed.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Exercise has the potential to reduce cognitive decline in people with Down syndrome by maximising their cognitive function. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of regular exercise on cognitive functioning in young people with Down syndrome. METHOD: People with Down syndrome were eligible if aged between 13 and 35 years and enrolled to participate in an exercise programme (called FitSkills). The intervention was a 12-week community-based exercise programme completed with a student mentor. Outcomes were assessed before (week 0) and immediately after (week 13) the intervention. Executive functioning (planning, response inhibition, attention shifting) was assessed using Tower of London, Sustained Attention to Response Task, CANTAB Intra-extra Dimensional Set Shift Test, Cognitive Scale for Down Syndrome, and Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Working memory was assessed using the CANTAB Paired Associates Learning task, and information processing speed was assessed using the Motor Screening Task. Outcomes were analysed using ANCOVA with the baseline measure as the covariate. RESULTS: Twenty participants (9 women; mean age 23.6 ± 6.6 years) enrolled. Between-group differences, in favour of the experimental group, were found for the global executive composite score of the BRIEF (mean difference -4.77 units, 95% CI -9.30 to -0.25). There were no between group differences for any other outcome measured. CONCLUSION: Participation in a 12-week exercise programme was effective in improving everyday executive functions in young people with Down syndrome. These preliminary findings need to be confirmed in future randomised controlled trials of community-based exercise with larger sample sizes.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2022 · doi:10.1111/jir.12979