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- All Subjects: Physical Activity
- All Subjects: Mental Health
- Creators: Ringenbach, Shannon
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Resource Type: Text
This study examines the effectiveness of two modes of exercise on inhibitory control in adults with Down Syndrome (DS). Thirteen participants attended four sessions: a baseline assessment, an Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) session, a Resistance Training (RT) session, and a session of No Training (NT). In the baseline assessment, 1-repetition max (1RM) measurements and voluntary pedal rate measurements were taken. In the resistance training session, the leg press, chest press, seated row, leg curl, shoulder press, and latissimus pulldown were performed. In the cycling intervention, the participant completed 30 minutes of cycling. The Erikson Flanker task was administered prior to each session (i.e., pretest) and after the intervention (i.e., post-test). The results were somewhat consistent with the hypothesis that inhibition time improved more following RT and ACT than NT. there was also a significant difference between ACT and NT. Additionally, it was hypothesized that all measures would improve following each acute exercise intervention, but the most significant improvements were seen following ACT. In conclusion, an acute session of ACT demonstrated a significant trend towards improvements in inhibitory control in adults with DS which we interpreted using a model of neural changes.
Participants: 29 children between the ages of three and five years that are currently attending the Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College Preschool.
Methods: Children participated in eight ~15-20-minute yoga sessions consisting of an opening circle, breathing, mindful movement, and a closing circle with relaxation time. Parents completed weekly homework assignments and surveys about the homework. Parents and teachers both completed daily behavior logs to track their child’s number of outbursts, mention of yoga, and use of yoga. Additionally, parents completed a post-intervention survey to determine overall satisfaction.
Results: The Preschool Behavior Questionnaire paired t-test results did not demonstrate any significant differences in pre-intervention (M=13.00, SD±7.55) and post-intervention (M=11.95, SD±6.92) scores, t(17)=0.94, p=0.36. There were no visible correlations between outbursts and use of yoga as reported by parents, but the use of yoga increased with the number of outbursts as reported by parents. Overall, parents felt the sessions had a positive effect on their child’s behavior and felt their children enjoyed the sessions.
Conclusion: Implementing classroom-based yoga programs could be an acceptable, realistic option to manage and prevent negative behaviors in preschool children.