John D. Cowden, MD, MPH reviewing Bowling A et al. Pediatrics 2017 Feb.

Pedaling on a cybercycle during physical education class improved classroom behavior throughout the day in a school for children with behavioral disorders.

Exercise has been associated with positive effects on child attention and behavior NEJM JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Mar 2016 and J Pediatr 2016; 168:126), but getting children with behavioral health disorders to engage in aerobic activities can be difficult.

Researchers studied the effects of cybercycling on the behavior of children enrolled in a therapeutic day school for those with behavioral disorders. In a controlled crossover study, 103 children aged 7–16 years (84% boys) were randomly assigned by classroom to participate in a 7-week intervention during the fall or spring. The intervention featured cybercycles (“virtual-reality exergaming stationary bicycles”) used twice a week in a progressive and aerobically challenging program during physical education class. Behavioral outcomes included self-regulation (scored by teachers using the Conners' Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale–10 [CATRS-10]) and classroom functioning (time out of classroom owing to unacceptable behavior). Outcomes were compared between the intervention period and a 7-week control period of conventional physical education.

Students using the cybercycles achieved sustained aerobic activity (mean cycling duration, 16 minutes; mean heart rate, 147 beats per minute). During the intervention period, compared with the control period, children showed improved self-regulation (odds ratio, 0.68 for exceeding the screening threshold on the CATRS-10) and classroom functioning (OR, 0.54 for having ≥5 time-out-of-classroom events/day). On days when children participated in cybercycling, these improvements were even greater (ORs, 0.29 and 0.10, respectively).

CITATION(S):

Bowling A et al. Cybercycling effects on classroom behavior in children with behavioral health disorders: An RCT. Pediatrics 2017 Feb; 139:e20161985.

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