Effects of an 8-Week Pickleball Intervention on Sensorimotor Function, Sleep, Depressive Symptoms, and Core Autism Features in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Feasibility Trial With a Delayed-Control Design
试验速览
- 阶段
- 早期 1 期
- 状态
- 招募中
- 入组人数
- 50
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Sensory-Motor Function (HaptiKart task outcomes)
研究概览
简要总结
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an 8-week, community-based pickleball program can improve sensory-motor function and reduce the severity of core autism symptoms in adults ages 18-45 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who can participate independently without a caregiver.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does participating in the pickleball program improve sensory-motor function (including visual-motor integration and proprioceptive bias), measured using the HaptiKart task and a pickleball skill assessment?
- Does participating in the pickleball program reduce core autism symptom severity, measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition (SRS-2)?
Researchers will compare an early-start pickleball group to a delayed-start control group (who continues usual activities at first) to see if the pickleball program leads to greater improvements in sensory-motor outcomes and ASD symptom severity.
Participants will:
- Complete an in-person baseline visit at a local public library to provide written consent, complete surveys (SRS-2, PROMIS Depression and Sleep measures, and WHOQOL-BREF), and complete a video game-based sensory-motor assessment (HaptiKart).
- Be randomly assigned to either start pickleball classes immediately or after an initial delay period.
- Attend pickleball classes twice per week for 8 weeks (90 minutes per class; 16 sessions total), led by trained instructors at community indoor court facilities.
- Continue their usual activities during periods when they are not assigned to pickleball classes.
- Complete a brief pickleball skill assessment during the intervention period at their first and last class.
- Complete follow-up assessments after each phase of the study to repeat surveys and sensory-motor testing.
- Participants will also wear a small activity monitor (ActiGraph) during pickleball sessions to measure in-class physical activity levels, and complete brief online check-ins about safety/injury and program feedback during the intervention period.
详细描述
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with sensory-motor impairments that can impact everyday functioning. Prior research suggests that disrupted visual-motor integration and altered sensory weighting (e.g., greater reliance on proprioceptive input relative to visual input) may relate to the severity of core autism symptoms. The current study evaluates whether a structured, community-based pickleball program can serve as a practical and scalable behavioral intervention to modify these sensory-motor mechanisms and improve outcomes in autistic adults.
Study Design
This study is a two-arm, parallel-group, delayed controlled trial (DCT) evaluating the effects of an 8-week pickleball intervention delivered in a community setting. Participants complete baseline testing and are randomized 1:1 to either:
- Early Start Group: completes pickleball classes during Phase 1
- Delayed Start Group: continues usual activity during Phase 1 and completes pickleball during Phase 2
Phase 1 is structured as the randomized comparison period. All participants complete post-testing at the end of Phase 1. The delayed group then receives the intervention during Phase 2. This design allows both a controlled between-group comparison during Phase 1 and a within-subject evaluation of change across all participants once they receive the intervention.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 45 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Aged 18-45 years
- •Clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- •Able to participate in group-based activities without caregiver support
- •Able to understand English and independently communicate without assistance
- •Available for at least two sessions per week for the intervention dates
- •Access to reliable transportation to the intervention site
- •Able to provide informed consent (i.e., no legally authorized representative)
- •Pre-exercise screening indicates medical clearance is not needed, based on ACSM guidelines
排除标准
- •Clinical diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID)
- •Does not have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- •Actively participating in a racquet sport ≥1 time per week
- •Use of mobility aids
- •Moderate-to-severe joint pain (WOMAC pain subscale)
- •Neurologic conditions (cerebral palsy, severe head injury, progressive neurological disorders, epilepsy)
- •Individuals who cannot provide their own informed consent (i.e., have a legally authorized representative)
- •Individuals who require medical clearance for exercise based on the ACSM preparticipation screening questionnaire
研究组 & 干预措施
Early Start Pickleball (Intervention)
Participants assigned to this arm begin the community-based pickleball program immediately after baseline testing. They participate in supervised pickleball classes twice per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total). Assessments are completed at baseline and after the Phase 1 intervention period. Participants then return to usual activities during Phase 2 and complete a follow-up assessment.
干预措施: Pickleball Program (Community-Based) (Behavioral)
Delayed Start (Waitlist/Usual Activity Control)
Participants assigned to this arm continue their usual activities during Phase 1 (no pickleball classes during this initial period). They complete baseline and post-Phase 1 assessments, then begin the same community-based pickleball program during Phase 2 (twice per week for 8 weeks; 16 sessions total). A final post-intervention assessment is completed after the Phase 2 intervention period.
干预措施: Pickleball Program (Community-Based) (Behavioral)
结局指标
主要结局
Sensory-Motor Function (HaptiKart task outcomes)
时间窗: T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).
Sensory-motor integration and proprioceptive bias measured using the HaptiKart videogame task.
Autism Symptom Severity (SRS-2 Total Score)
时间窗: T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).
Core autism symptom severity measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition (SRS-2), adult self-report, total score. The SRS-2 consists of 65 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = not true; 4 = almost always true). Raw total scores range from 0 to 195. Higher scores indicate greater severity of autism-related social impairment.
次要结局
- Depression Symptoms (PROMIS Depression)(T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).)
- Sleep-Related Impairment(T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).)
- Sleep Disturbance(T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).)
- Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)(T1 (Week 0, enrollment) may occur up to 4 weeks prior to initiation of pickleball intervention; T2 approximately 10 weeks after baseline (up to 12 weeks); T3 approximately 18 weeks after baseline (up to 20 weeks).)
研究者
Daniel Lidstone
Assistant Professor
Penn State University