Intellectual Disability
Conditions
Keywords
Exercise Snacks, High-intensity Interval Training, Cognitive Function, Physical Activity, Prefrontal Cortex, Neurodevelopmental disorders, intellectual disability
Brief summary
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder accompanied by sedentary lifestyles, which worsens cognitive function and physical health. Short-duration high-frequency exercise snacks (ES) may be a feasible intervention for adults with ID. This randomized controlled crossover study aims to explore the acute effects of exercise snacks, conventional HIIT and daily routine control on cognitive function, stereotyped behaviors and prefrontal cortex activation in adults with mild to moderate ID. All participants will receive three intervention conditions with a 1-week washout period between each trial. Neurophysiological indicators including EEG and heart rate variability will be measured to reveal the underlying mechanisms.
Detailed description
Background: Adults with intellectual disability commonly maintain sedentary daily routines, resulting in progressive decline in physical fitness and cognitive performance. Traditional long-duration exercise interventions are difficult to implement for this population due to behavioral and cognitive limitations. Exercise snacks, consisting of repeated ultra-short exercise bursts, are easy to carry out and show promising benefits for cognition. Methods: A randomized controlled crossover design will be adopted. Twenty-four adults aged 18-35 years with mild to moderate ID will complete three conditions in random sequence: no-exercise control, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and exercise snacks (ES). A 1-week washout interval separates different interventions. Intervention protocols: 1. Control: maintain habitual daily activities. 2. HIIT: one afternoon session, 10 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest. 3. ES: morning and afternoon sessions every day; each session contains 5 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest. Main measurements include prefrontal cortex activation via EEG, cognitive function, stereotyped behaviors, and heart rate variability. Repeated-measures statistical models will be used for data analysis.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHigh-Intensity Interval Training
Acute high-intensity interval training protocol: 10 × 6 s high-knee exercise with 9 s rest between sets, completed in a single afternoon session.
BEHAVIORALExercise Snacks
Twice-daily short-bout exercise snacks. Each session includes 5 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest between sets.
Sponsors
University of Macau
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Aged 18-35 years old; 2. Clinically diagnosed mild to moderate intellectual disability; 3. Able to follow simple verbal instructions and complete exercise protocols; 4. No contraindications for moderate physical activity confirmed by medical inquiry; 5. Participants or legal guardians provide written informed consent; 6. Maintain stable daily routine and do not participate in other structured exercise programs during the trial.
Exclusion criteria
1. Severe physical disabilities, orthopedic injury or neurological disorders that restrict movement; 2. History of cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension or other exercise contraindications; 3. Current psychiatric medication that significantly affects motor or cognitive function; 4. Inability to cooperate with EEG and physiological signal collection; 5. Pregnancy; 6. Participation in other interventional studies within the past 3 months.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in cognitive function assessed by cognitive test battery | Baseline and immediately after the acute intervention | Changes in cognitive performance measured after each intervention condition, including attention and executive function. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Prefrontal cortex activation measured by electroencephalography (EEG) | Baseline and immediately after the acute intervention | Changes in prefrontal cortical brain activity indexed by EEG power spectrum during cognitive tasks. |
Countries
China
Contacts
CONTACTYuping Zhou, master
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORZhaowei Kong, PhD
University of Macau
Outcome results
None listed