The effect of combining action observation and imagery on motor skills and attention in ADHD children

Poster Presentation
Paper ID : 1859-SSRC
Authors
MA, Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Khorasgan University, Iran
Abstract
Background and Purpose : Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by two main symptoms: inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Today, evidence-based and non-pharmacological interventions are needed to improve outcomes for children with ADHD. The purpose of this study was the effect of combining action observation and imagery on motor skills and attention in ADHD children.
Methodology: In this semi-experimental study, which was conducted with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group, among the girls and boys with ADHD disorder in Esfahan city, 40 girls and boys with ADHD disorder with an age range of 7 to 10 were selected in a purposeful way and were placed in four groups: action observation, imagery, action observation + imagery (combined) and control. The study included pre-test, intervention and post-test phases. In the pre-test phase, the Broninx Ozertsky motor skills test was taken from the children according to the existing instructions, and then the parents completed the standard questionnaire of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.. The intervention phase was conducted in eight weeks and three sessions each week and each session lasted 10 minutes, and the participants performed related exercises. After the practice phase, the post-test phase was conducted in the same way as the pre-test phase. The data was analyzed by univariate analysis of covariance and Bonferoni post hoc.
Results: The results showed that both the imagery intervention, the action observation intervention and the combination of these two interventions have a significant effect on improving the gross motor skills (P<0.05), fine motor skills (P<0.05) and attention deficit (P<0.05) of children with ADHD disorder. Also, other results showed that the combination of action observation and imagery interventions compared to the implementation of these interventions alone, from a statistical point of view, led to a better gross and fine motor and attention in children with ADHD disorder (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it is possible to use the combination of action observation and imagery interventions to improve motor skills and attention in children with ADHD disorder.
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