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Effect of Low, Moderate, and High Intensity Exercise on Executive Function, Functional Impairment, and Symptom Severity in ADHD

Dr. Meghan Edmondson (College of Nursing, ������)

It is estimated that 1 in 20 adults have Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); however, 85% of these people remain undiagnosed. People with ADHD have a higher risk of comorbid conditions and shorter life expectancy than neurotypical peers, as well as real-life instability in work, relationships, and personal finances. Currently, the United States is experiencing a shortage of stimulant medications, the first-line treatment for ADHD, due to the convergence of an increase in ADHD diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues with manufacturing of stimulants.

Exercise improves cognitive function in adults with healthy brains, but less is known about how exercise impacts adults with ADHD. The application of exercise as an adjunct treatment for ADHD is limited by lack of clinically useful knowledge about what kind, duration, and frequency of exercise to prescribe. While there is evidence that both high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercise may benefit adults with ADHD, this remains unconfirmed, and a paucity of literature addresses whether low-intensity exercise has any benefit. Since people with ADHD are at increased risk of chronic health conditions, high-intensity exercise might not be accessible or safe for many people with ADHD. This research will address these gaps in two ways. First, to develop an exercise “prescription” for application in clinical practice, three levels of exercise intensity will be evaluated to determine if exercise must be high intensity to confer benefit to people with ADHD. Second, in addition to evaluating executive function in response to exercise, this study will include measures of functional impairment and ADHD symptom severity to generate new, clinically meaningful knowledge for management of ADHD.