None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Past research has shown that performance on executive function tasks can be improved after a walk in a natural environment. This has been found across a number of participant groups, including children with ADHD. Taylor and Kuo (2009) reported improvements in working memory in children with ADHD with a statistical effect size that was comparable to those seen with two formulations of pharmacological treatment (methylphenidate). We aim to investigate whether natural environments can improve executive function performance in children with ADHD, and whether this is affected by medication status. Specifically, we ask whether performance after walking in a natural environment and taking a placebo is better than performance after walking in a built environment and taking a dose of psychostimulant medication. Further, we ask whether exposure to a natural environment can enhance the effect of psychostimulant medication to improve executive function performance. We aim to provide evidence for the suggestion that such an intervention may be pursued as a supplementary strategy for managing the disorder. We extend the current research by including medication status as a withinsubject factor to answer the questions: 1) Do the treatment combinations of "natural environment + placebo" and "built environment + psychostimulant medication" both improve cognitive performance in children with ADHD? and 2) Does the treatment combination of "natural environment + psychostimulant medication" improve cognitive performance to a higher degree than either treatment alone? Based on previous studies, we predict both treatment combinations ("natural environment + placebo" and "built environment + medication") will improve cognitive performance (executive attention score) in children with ADHD. Further, we predict that the treatment combination of "natural environment + medication" will be associated with greater a cognitive improvement (executive attention score) than the other three treatment combinations (natural environment + placebo, built environment + medication, and built environment + placebo).
Interventions
1. Stimulant medication - methylphenidate, 5mg, oral tablet, taken daily, dose and adherence supervised by registered psychiatrist from the Department of Medicine, University of Otago. Overencapsulated in size 0 opaque gelatin capsules. Control = placebo made from 4 grains of Orzo pasta encapsulated in size 0 opaque gelatin capsules.
2. Walk in a natural environment - 30 minutes, once daily, adherence supervised by two research assistants. Control = Walk in a built environment.
3. Each partic
1. Stimulant medication - methylphenidate, 5mg, oral tablet, taken daily, dose and adherence supervised by registered psychiatrist from the Department of Medicine, University of Otago. Overencapsulated in size 0 opaque gelatin capsules. Control = placebo made from 4 grains of Orzo pasta encapsulated in size 0 opaque gelatin capsules. 2. Walk in a natural environment - 30 minutes, once daily, adherence supervised by two research assistants. Control = Walk in a built environment. 3. Each participant will recieve a total of four combinations of the two interventions and their controls, described above. Namely, 1) methylphenidate + walk in natural environment; 2) methylphenidate + walk in built environment (Control) ; 3) placebo (Control) + walk in natural environment; 4) placebo (Control) + walk in built environment (Control) 4. Wash out period: 7 days - Duration for each of the four arms: 7 days per condition.
Sponsors
University of Copenhagen
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Other
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
6 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants must have a current diagnosis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Exclusion criteria
Participants must not have a sub-diagnosis of ADHD-predominantly hyperactive subtype. Further, participants must not have any co-morbid diagnoses of cognitive impairment.,
Outcome results
None listed