Exercise in the treatment of youth substance use disorders: Review and recommendations

Substance use disorders among youth represent a significant public health concern. It is well established that regular exercise provides important physical and mental health benefits; however, evidence for the role of exercise as an adjunct component within substance use disorder treatment is scarce. In this review, we identify factors associated with the development and persistence of substance use disorders among youth, identify current treatment modalities, and present evidence to support the efficacy of incorporating exercise participation during rehabilitation. We also provide a series of recommendations for future research that explores the feasibility and effectiveness of exercise participation as a complement to substance use disorder treatment among youth

Cortical functioning in children with developmental coordination disorder:a motor overflow study

This study examined brain activation in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) to reveal areas that may contribute to poor movement execution and/or abundant motor overflow. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, 13 boys with DCD (mean age = 9.6 years ±0.8) and 13 typically developing controls (mean age = 9.3 years ±0.6) were scanned performing two tasks (finger sequencing and hand clenching) with their dominant hand, while a four-finger motion sensor recorded contralateral motor overflow on their non-dominant hand. Despite displaying increased motor overflow on both functional tasks during scanning, there were no obvious activation deficits in the DCD group to explain the abundant motor overflow seen. However, children with DCD were found to display decreased activation in the left superior frontal gyrus on the finger-sequencing task, an area which plays an integral role in executive and spatially oriented processing. Decreased activation was also seen in the left inferior frontal gyrus, an area typically active during the observation and imitation of hand movements. Finally, increased activation in the right postcentral gyrus was seen in children with DCD, which may reflect increased reliance on somatosensory information during the execution of complex fine motor tasks

Descriptive statistics according to condition.

<p>Descriptive statistics according to condition.</p

“It's like a counselling session … but you don't need to say anything:” exercise program outcomes for youth within a drug and alcohol treatment service

Objectives: Evidence for exercise as an adjunct therapy in youth substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is scarce, despite support for its efficacy among adult populations. In this study, youth undergoing residential treatment for SUDs were provided with twice-weekly exercise sessions, with the aim of examining their perceptions about the outcomes associated with regular exercise participation during their recovery. Design: Qualitative – interpretivist approach. Method: Qualitative (i.e., focus group) methods were employed to capture the experiences of 27 youth and 10 staff members employed in the facility, and content analytic procedures were employed to understand the outcomes (i.e., exercise perceptions, recovery-specific outcomes, and other health outcomes) associated with exercise participation during recovery. Results: Within three broad themes (i.e., exercise perceptions, recovery-specific outcomes, other health outcomes), youth and staff reported that, among other things, regular exercise contributed to the establishment of a healthy routine, more positive perceptions about one's appearance, improved sleep and interpersonal relationships, cathartic effects, and a sense of accomplishment. Conclusions: Based on the ‘lived experiences’ of youth and staff, the results of this study indicated that participation in regular, structured, and personalized exercise may be an important part of successful SUD treatment. The benefits of exercise align with a range of important outcomes including exercise perceptions (i.e., barriers to exercise participation, exercise motivation), recovery factors (e.g., cravings and withdrawals, routine), and health outcomes (e.g., self-esteem and mental health, physical health) among youth undergoing SUD treatment

Aggregate-level skewness, kurtosis, and zero-order correlations for all variables (including GPA) across the entire sample.

<p>Aggregate-level skewness, kurtosis, and zero-order correlations for all variables (including GPA) across the entire sample.</p

Exploring associations between neuromuscular performance, hypermobility, and children's motor competence

Objectives: To evaluate if neuromuscular performance and hypermobility are factors associated with children’s motor competence. Design: Cross-sectional observation study. Methods: Data was collected on 60 children aged 6–12 years; motor competence was determined using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 test, with children classified into 3 groups (Typically Developing n = 30; ‘At Risk’ of low motor competence (LMC) n = 9; LMC n = 21). Neuromuscular performance was determined utilising the Resistance Training Skills Battery for Children (RTSBc), 5-repetition maximum (5RM) leg press and Biodex dynamometry to assess isometric and isokinetic peak torque of the knee flexors and extensors. Hypermobility was measured using the Beighton and Lower Limb Assessment Score. Results: Between-groups MANCOVA revealed typically developing children scored significantly higher on the RTSBc than those ‘at risk’ of LMC (p = 0.021) and those in the LMC group (p < 0.001). 5RM scores also differed between groups, with typically developing children achieving significantly higher scores than the LMC group. No differences were found between groups for isometric or isokinetic measures of strength. Sequential regression analysis revealed neuromuscular performance variables explained 44.7% of the variance in motor competence, with RTSBc (p < 0.001) and 5RM (p = 0.019) emerging as positive significant predictors. Hypermobility failed to explain significant variance in motor competence beyond that explained by neuromuscular performance. Conclusions: Neuromuscular performance of children varies according to levels of motor competence, with those with LMC performing poorly on tasks requiring multi-joint movement. Furthermore, neuromuscular performance predicted almost half the variance observed in motor competence and highlights a novel intervention strategy

Exercise is medicine… when you enjoy it: Exercise enjoyment, relapse prevention efficacy, and health outcomes for youth within a drug and alcohol treatment service

Evidence for the effectiveness of exercise as therapy for youth substance use disorder (SUD) is scarce. In this study, we investigated associations between exercise enjoyment and recovery outcomes for youth undergoing residential SUD treatment. Method: Using ecological momentary assessment, each week participants reported perceptions of exercise enjoyment, relapse prevention efficacy, self-esteem, and physical health, and associations between these variables were assessed at both between- and within-person levels. There were 97 participants (age: M = 17.5, SD = 1.57, range = 14 to 21; 37 female, 60 male), with a final sample of 64 due to participants (n = 33) discontinuing treatment within 2 weeks of commencement. Of the remaining sample, 50% (n = 32) completed 3 or more assessments, 40% (n = 26) completed 5 or more, and 25% (n = 16) completed 7 or more. Results: Relapse prevention efficacy, self-esteem, and perceived physical health increased over time in the program. Youth who, on average, enjoyed exercise more had higher self-esteem, perceived physical health, and relapse prevention efficacy than those who enjoyed it less. Additionally, on occasions when youth enjoyed exercise more (relative to their own average), they reported higher self-esteem, perceived physical health, and relapse prevention efficacy than on occasions when they reported enjoying it less. Conclusion: Participation in—and importantly, enjoyment of—exercise was linked to key health indices and predictors of relapse for youth during SUD treatment. These findings demonstrate that participation in enjoyable structured exercise may provide an important component of successful SUD treatment