From Focus to Function: Effects of a 12-Week Pickleball Training Program on Cognitive and Motor Outcomes in Individuals With Intellectual Disability
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 进行中（未招募）
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 32
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Selective Attention
研究概览
简要总结
This study aims to investigate the effects of a 12-week pickleball training program on cognitive and motor outcomes in adolescents with mild intellectual disability. Pickleball is a low-impact racket sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, and is considered suitable for promoting both physical and cognitive engagement.
A total of 32 students aged 14-18 years with mild intellectual disability, enrolled in a special education vocational school, will participate in the study. Participants will be assigned to either an intervention group (n = 16) or a control group (n = 16). The intervention group will receive structured pickleball training three times per week for 12 weeks, while the control group will continue their regular educational activities without additional intervention.
Cognitive outcomes will be assessed using standardized computerized tests, including sustained attention (Mackworth Clock Test), visual-spatial memory (Corsi Block Test), selective attention and reaction (Change Detection Test), and working memory (Digit Span Test). Motor outcomes will be evaluated using grip strength, balance assessments, and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2).
Assessments will be conducted at four time points: baseline (pre-test), mid-intervention (6th or 7th week), post-intervention (week 12), and follow-up (4-6 weeks after completion). The primary aim is to determine whether structured pickleball training improves cognitive performance and motor skills in adolescents with mild intellectual disability.
Findings from this study are expected to contribute to evidence-based physical activity interventions for individuals with intellectual disabilities and to expand the literature on the role of racket sports in cognitive and motor development.
详细描述
This study will be conducted using a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test control group design to examine the effects of a 12-week pickleball training program on physical and cognitive outcomes in individuals with mild intellectual disability. Participants will be recruited from a special education vocational school and will be aged between 14 and 18 years.
Participants will be assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group will participate in a structured pickleball training program for 12 weeks, delivered three times per week. Each session will include two on-court practice sessions and one skill-based training session focusing on fundamental movement and sport-specific skills. Each training session will consist of a 5-minute warm-up, a 40-minute main activity phase, and a 5-minute cool-down period. The control group will continue their regular school-based physical education and daily academic routines without additional intervention.
Outcome assessments will be conducted at four time points: baseline (pre-test), mid-intervention (week 6-7), post-intervention (week 12), and follow-up (4-6 weeks after completion of the intervention). All assessments will be administered by the same research team using standardized protocols to ensure consistency.
Cognitive functions will be evaluated using computer-based tests from the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) battery. Sustained attention will be assessed using the Mackworth Clock Test, visuospatial working memory using the Corsi Block Test, selective attention and change detection ability using the Change Detection Test, and processing speed and short-term memory using the Digit Span Test.
Motor performance will be assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) short form. This standardized assessment evaluates fine motor precision, bilateral coordination, balance, agility, and strength-related motor skills.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Non Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Other
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 14 Years 至 18 Years（Child, Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Having a diagnosis of mild intellectual disability
- •Being enrolled in a special education vocational high school
- •Being between 14 and 18 years of age
- •Having the ability to follow simple verbal instructions
- •Having no additional severe or secondary disability
- •Having no musculoskeletal condition preventing racket use
- •Providing voluntary assent and parental consent
排除标准
- •Refusal to participate in the study at any stage
- •Irregular school attendance during the intervention period
- •Failure to attend pickleball training sessions consistently
- •Presence of a chronic medical condition limiting participation
- •Participation in racket sports within the last 3 months
- •Withdrawal of parental consent during the study
研究组 & 干预措施
Pickleball Training Intervention Group
Participants assigned to this arm will participate in a 12-week structured pickleball training program. The intervention will be delivered three times per week under the supervision of a certified physical education specialist and an assistant instructor. Each session will last approximately 45 minutes and will include a standardized structure consisting of a 5-minute warm-up, 40 minutes of pickleball-specific training activities, and a 5-minute cool-down period.
The training content will include fundamental and advanced pickleball skills such as serving, forehand and backhand strokes, volley, dink, lob, smash, drop shot, and basic game strategies. Sessions will be conducted either in the school gymnasium or outdoor court depending on environmental conditions. The intervention aims to improve motor proficiency, balance, strength, and cognitive performance in adolescents with mild intellectual disability.
干预措施: Pickleball Training Intervention Group (Behavioral)
Standard Special Education Curriculum
Participants assigned to this arm will continue their regular special education curriculum without participation in any structured physical activity or pickleball-based training program during the study period.
干预措施: Standard Special Education Curriculum (Other)
结局指标
主要结局
Selective Attention
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0, pre-intervention), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)
Selective attention will be assessed using the Change Detection Test. Higher scores indicate better selective attention performance.
Sustained Attention
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0, pre-intervention), Mid-intervention (Week 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)
Sustained attention will be assessed using the Mackworth Clock Test. Higher scores indicate better sustained attention performance.
Visuospatial Working Memory
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0, pre-intervention), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)
Visuospatial working memory will be assessed using the Block Test. Higher scores indicate better visuospatial working memory performance.
Working Memory
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0, pre-intervention), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)
Working memory will be assessed using the Digit Span Test. Higher scores indicate better working memory performance.
Motor Proficiency
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)
Motor proficiency will be assessed using the BOT-2 Short Form. Higher scores indicate better motor proficiency.
Balance
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)
Balance performance will be assessed using the balance subtests of the BOT-2. Higher scores indicate better balance performance.
Hand Grip Strength
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)
Hand grip strength will be measured using a hand dynamometer. Higher scores indicate greater grip strength.
Lower Limb Strength
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)
Lower limb strength will be assessed using the 30-second sit-to-stand test. Higher repetition scores indicate greater lower limb strength.
次要结局
- Height(Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion))
- Body Weight(Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion))
- Body Mass Index (BMI)(Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion))
研究者
Elif Top
Professor
Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University