A chinese mind-body exercise improves self-control of children with autism: a randomized controlled trial

Agnes S Chan, Sophia L Sze, Nicolson Y Siu, Eliza M Lau, Mei-Chun Cheung, Agnes S Chan, Sophia L Sze, Nicolson Y Siu, Eliza M Lau, Mei-Chun Cheung

Abstract

Self-control problems commonly manifest as temper outbursts and repetitive/rigid/impulsive behaviors, in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which often contributes to learning difficulties and caregiver burden. The present study aims to compare the effect of a traditional Chinese Chan-based mind-body exercise, Nei Yang Gong, with that of the conventional Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) technique in enhancing the self-control of children with ASD. Forty-six age- and IQ-matched ASD children were randomly assigned to receive group training in Nei Yang Gong (experimental group) or PMR (control group) twice per week for four weeks. The participants' self-control was measured by three neuropsychological tests and parental rating on standardized questionnaires, and the underlying neural mechanism was assessed by the participants' brain EEG activity during an inhibitory-control task before and after intervention. The results show that the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in self-control than the control group, which concurs with the parental reports of reduced autistic symptoms and increased control of temper and behaviors. In addition, the experimental group showed enhanced EEG activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region that mediates self-control, whereas the PMR group did not. The present findings support the potential application of Chinese Chan-based mind-body exercises as a form of neuropsychological rehabilitation for patients with self-control problems. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry; Registration No.: ChiCTR-TRC-12002561; URL: www.chictr.org.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1. CONSORT flow diagram.
Figure 1. CONSORT flow diagram.
The diagram shows the progress of the participants through the enrollment, allocation, follow-up, and data analysis phases of the trial.
Figure 2. Parental rating of the treatment…
Figure 2. Parental rating of the treatment effects after one-month training.
The treatment effects as rated by the parents in controlling the children’s temper outburst and obsessive behaviors, and verbal expression problem in daily life after one-month training. A positive value indicates improvement in the corresponding problem. * p<0.05 (independent sample t test).
Figure 3. Neuro-electrophysiological activity changes after one-month…
Figure 3. Neuro-electrophysiological activity changes after one-month training.
Graphical representation of the sLORETA paired t-statistics results comparing the pre- and post-one-month theta source activity of the control and experimental groups during the No-go condition of the Go/No-go task. The regions colored in red indicate significantly elevated ACC activity (in the circle) after one-month Nei Yang Gong training (experimental group) at p<0.05, which was not observed after practicing the Progressive Muscle Relaxation (control group).

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