Training balance and enjoying music to improve attention and behavior in children
Can Training Balance, or Enjoying Music, Improve Executive Functions of Children?
This study is testing if balance training can help kids aged 8 to 12 improve their attention and behavior by seeing if it boosts their thinking skills.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 108 (estimated) |
| Ages | 8 Years to 12 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of British Columbia Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Vancouver, British Columbia) |
| Trial ID | NCT05602857 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized controlled trial aims to explore whether balance training can enhance executive functions (EFs) in children aged 8 to 12 years. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: balance training, music video watching as an active control, or no treatment. The interventions will consist of 15-minute sessions three times a week for 12 weeks, with assessments conducted before, immediately after, and three months post-intervention. The study hypothesizes that since balance and EFs share neural circuits, improving balance may also lead to improvements in cognitive functions.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are children aged 8 to 12 years who are fluent in English and do not have significant cognitive or physical impairments.
Not a fit: Children with high baseline performance in balance or executive functions, or those undergoing other targeted training, may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide a novel approach to enhancing cognitive abilities and behavior control in children.
How similar studies have performed: While the connection between motor skills and cognitive functions is established, this specific approach of using balance training to improve EFs in children is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria • Children between 8 to 12 years old. Exclusion Criteria: * Children not fluent in English * Children with performance over the 85th percentile at screening assessment of postural balance or EFs that it leaves little room for them to improve further. * Children taking any medication that might affect cognition (e.g., psychostimulants) * Children undergoing EF training, which might affect their performance on EF tests. * Children undergoing other targeted training to improve their balance (e.g., dance, yoga, tai chi, martial arts), which might affect their performance on balance tests. * Children with severe anxiety who might find the balance training anxiety-provoking. * Children unable to perform simple balance exercises because of a physical handicap, disability, or musculoskeletal injury. * Children with significant hearing loss or visual impairment even with correction. * Neither the child's parent/guardian nor other responsible person strong enough to catch the child should he or she start to fall would be available to spot the child during the weekly session in case the child is assigned to the BT intervention.
Where this trial is running
Vancouver, British Columbia
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychiatry, UBC — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Adele Diamond, PhD — University of British Columbia
- Study coordinator: Priscilla Paz, MD
- Email: pspaz@student.ubc.ca
- Phone: 6046490702
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.