Management of executive function following assisted cycling therapy in adolescents with down syndrome

We have shown promising results of Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) for improving executive functioning in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS). The current study examines the one month retention of executive function benefits gained by adolescents with DS. Fifteen participants were randomly assigned to voluntary cycling (VC; i.e., selfselected cadence) or Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT; i.e., 65% faster than self-selected cadence accomplished by a motor). Both cycling groups rode a stationary bicycle, for 30 minutes, three times a week, for eight weeks. At the beginning (i.e., pre-test) and end (post-test) of the 8- week session, and at a one month retention (follow-up), three executive functions including set-switching, inhibition, and cognitive planning, were measured. The results showed improved cognitive planning and set switching for the ACT group after 8 weeks of intervention and these improvements were maintained for one month after the intervention. However, no significant differences were found between the cycling groups for our measure of inhibition. Thus, our results suggest that, especially in regards to cognitive planning and set switching, ACT may lead to relatively permanent changes in the brain.