A considerable number of published reviews have addressed the effects of physical exercise on mental health, cognitive function, or attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) symptoms as outcomes in children and adolescents with ADHD. Their findings have often conflicted, therefore, there is an urgent need to synthesise a hierarchy of the evidence and examine the credibility of previous meta-analyses. To establish the robustness of these findings, we conducted an additional meta-analysis on a number of individual studies that were not covered in previous reviews but were suitable for inclusion in our own study. Three reviewers independently searched Web of Science, Psych INFO, Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) for meta-analyses published between database inceptions to December 1, 2022. The individual studies were also screened from 1 January 2015 to 1 December 2022. We included meta-analyses and eligible individual studies that addressed the effects of exercise on at least one outcome of mental health, cognitive function, or ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents with ADHD. We excluded systematic reviews and articles that lacked sufficient data for a meaningful second analysis. The effect estimates (Hedges' g), 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 95% prediction interval (95% PI), small study effects, and excess significance bias were calculated. Finally, we categorised the meta-analyses based on the credibility of the evidence criteria and their quality using a Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 checklist. This umbrella review was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022361331. Of 181 listed review articles and 60 individual papers, 10 reviews and 12 individual articles were included in the meta-analyses. This yielded 37 meta-analyses based on 106 study estimates. Evidence was highly suggestive for the effectiveness of exercise (class II) for improving inattention (G = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.44-1.39, 95%), inhibitory control (G = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.52-1.13), and cognitive flexibility (G = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32-0.72). However, evidence for the effectiveness of exercise on emotional, social, and working memory outcomes was weak, and these results were not significant for hyperactivity and behavioural functioning. Improvement of cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and inattention in children and adolescents with ADHD was highly suggested by exercise interventions. However, results were weak for other outcomes (emotional functioning, social functioning, and working memory). Further high-quality randomised controlled trials are, therefore, warranted to determine the effectiveness of exercise on weak outcomes. None.

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ocular characteristics. Systematic review with meta-analysis. Six databases (PubMed, Scopus, APA PsycInfo, Embase, EBSCOhost, and Cochrane library) were selected for a systematic literature search from database inception to July 2022. The observational studies assessing and reporting at least one outcome regarding ocular characteristics in children and adolescents with ADHD or ASD aged 6–17 were included. Studies in languages other than English, studies of adult or elderly human populations, and animal studies were excluded. The results were analyzed following the PRISMA guideline 2020. The findings of 15 studies, including 433 participants with ADHD, 253 participants with ASD, and 514 participants with typical development (TD), revealed that there were no significant differences in retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell complex, and macular thickness between the ADHD group and the TD group. In subgroup analysis, significant differences in inferior ganglion cell (MD = − 3.19; 95% CI = [− 6.06, − 0.31], p = 0.03) and nasal macular thickness (MD = 5.88; 95% CI = [− 0.01, 11.76], p = 0.05) were detected between the ADHD group and the TD group. A significant difference in pupillary light reflex (PLR) was also observed between the ASD group and the TD group (MD = 29.7; 95% CI = [18.79, 40.63], p < 0.001). Existing evidence suggests a possible association between children and adolescents with ADHD or ASD and ocular characteristics. Given the limited number of studies, further research on a larger cohort is necessary to claim a possible diagnosis of ADHD or ASD through ocular characteristics.

Background. In previous researches, electromagnetic fields have been shown to adversely affect the behavior and biology of humans and animals; however, body growth and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were not evaluated.Objective. The original investigation aimed to examine whether Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) exposure had adverse effects on spatial learning and motor function in rats and if physical activity could diminish the damaging effects of EMF exposure. In this study, we measured anthropometric measurements and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in pregnant rats’ offspring to determine if Wi-Fi EMF also affected their growth. These data we report for the first time in this publication.Methods. Twenty Albino-Wistar pregnant rats were divided randomly into EMF and control (CON) groups, and after delivery, 12 male fetuses were randomly selected. For assessing the body growth change of offspring beginning at delivery, then at 21 postnatal days, and finally at 56 post-natal days, the crown-rump length of the body was assessed using a digital caliper. Examining BDNF factor levels, an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ELISA kit was taken. Bodyweight was recorded by digital scale.Results. Outcomes of the anthropometric measurements demonstrated that EMF blocked body growth in rats exposed to EMF. The results of the BDNF test illustrated that the BDNF in the EMF liter group was remarkably decreased compared to the CON group. The results indicate that EMF exposure could affect BDNF levels and harm body growth in pregnant rats’ offspring.Conclusions. The results suggest that EMF exposure could affect BDNF levels and impair body growth in pregnant rats’ offspring.

Purpose: To examine movement behavior with stress-related biomarkers alongside self-reported mental health issues in adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Methods: One hundred fifty-one adolescents with clinically diagnosed NDD and aged between 12 and 17 yr were recruited in Hong Kong secondary schools. Salivary cortisol as a stress-related biomarker and self-reported mental health variables including anxiety, depression, and stress were collected. Physical activity (PA) levels (light PA [LPA], moderate PA [MPA], moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA], and vigorous PA [VPA]) and sedentary behavior [SB] were measured using a tri-axial waist-worn accelerometer. Data were analyzed using bootstrapping regression models (bias-corrected method), adjusted for age, gender, and body mass index. Results: A significant negative association between MPA and MVPA with self-reported stress and a negative association between MVPA and self-reported anxiety were observed in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A significant positive association between SB and salivary cortisol and a negative association between VPA and salivary cortisol in adolescents with comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD)–ADHD were observed. Conclusions: Study results demonstrated the association of PA levels and SB with mental ill-being, including stress-related biomarkers in both adolescents with ADHD and comorbid ASD–ADHD. Participation in PA, in particular at MVPA intensity, may be essential for mitigating mental health issues in this population. Alternatively, our results could show that mitigating stress and mental health issues is critical for PA participation in adolescents with NDD.