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

Authors

Trent Yamamoto, University of California, Los AngelesFollow
Bilal Pandit, University of California, Los AngelesFollow
Michael Viggiano, University of California, Los AngelesFollow
Mitchell S. Mologne, University of California, Los AngelesFollow
Kristin Daniels, University of California, Los AngelesFollow
David Gomez, University of California, Los AngelesFollow
Brett A. Dolezal, University of California, Los AngelesFollow

Other Subject Area

Exergaming Feasibility

Abstract

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(3): 710-720, 2023. 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 VO_2max (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.

Recommended Citation

Yamamoto, Trent; Pandit, Bilal; Viggiano, Michael; Mologne, Mitchell S.; Daniels, Kristin; Gomez, David; and Dolezal, Brett A. (2023) "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," International Journal of Exercise Science: Vol. 16 : Iss. 3, Pages 710 - 720.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70252/JNJV1440
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/vol16/iss3/6