None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This fixed size, single-blind, randomised control trial is the first step in the development and optimisation of a community-based intervention for children struggling from Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) or 'Listening Difficulties'. There are limited effective interventions to improve these children's listening and associated developmental impacts. Current treatment options, such as assistive listening devices or speech training, have high costs, do not treat co-occurring challenges such as mental health, and often require cognitive functioning at a level beyond many children. Hence, CAPD is often left unresolved and issues persist into adulthood causing social, emotional, health and economic burdens on individuals. These challenges highlight the urgent need to develop and implement treatment that is easily accessible, engaging and beneficial for children. This study will investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of exercise, rhythm and music in remediating CAPD or 'Listening Difficulty', as well as its effects on physical literacy, fitness and quality of life. It is hypothesized that incorporating aspects of rhythm and music into exercise will be more effective in remediating CAPD or 'Listening Difficulty' than exercise alone.
Interventions
The intervention consists of an exercise program both developed and delivered by Accredited Exercise Physiologists, within the School of Human Sciences at The University of Western Australia.
This program consists of group sessions of 10 children lasting 45 minute per session, 2 times a week for 8 weeks. The exercises are of moderate intensity and designed to target cardiorespiratory fitness, motor skill development and muscular strength. These activities will either be performed to the rhythm
The intervention consists of an exercise program both developed and delivered by Accredited Exercise Physiologists, within the School of Human Sciences at The University of Western Australia. This program consists of group sessions of 10 children lasting 45 minute per session, 2 times a week for 8 weeks. The exercises are of moderate intensity and designed to target cardiorespiratory fitness, motor skill development and muscular strength. These activities will either be performed to the rhythm of music, involve creating and repeating rhythms during the activities, or use musical or rhythmic cues (as opposed to visual cues or verbal instructions) to change the activities. Adherence will be monitored via session attendance checklists. In addition, session intensity will be quantified through heart-rate monitoring (Polar FT7 monitor worn by a sample of participants) and Rating of Perceived Exertion (Borg Scale) during exercise sessions. This data will also allow confirmation of matched activity levels across the two groups. Examples of activities include: 1. 'Strength Training' including squats, pushups, and lunges performed in time with age-appropriate music (for example, 2 counts for concentric phase and 2 counts for eccentric phase). 2. 'Game of Freeze' using cardiorespiratory movements such as hopping, skipping, star jumps and bopping down on the ground in response to a predetermined auditory cue (for example, music stopping, change in song, or change in tempo). 3. Hopscotch performed in time with music or to a pre-determined rhythm as demonstrated and cued by instructor clapping.
Sponsors
University of Western Australia
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
7 Years to 12 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
- Children must be between ages 7-12 years - Children and parent providing permission must be able to read/speak in English - Children must experience listening difficulties as reported by a parent
Exclusion criteria
- Children with a hearing loss - Diagnosis of intellectual impairment as confirmed by parental reports - Medical diagnoses which limits participation in exercise or auditory testing
Outcome results
None listed