Mingming Zhou

University of Macau, China

Title: Sharpening the Distracted Mind: Sport Training as a Therapeutic Strategy for ADHD

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Biography

Mingming Zhou is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Macau. Her research sits at the intersection of technology, cognition, and learning, with a particular focus on how learners’ cognitive and emotional processes shape their engagement with technology for educational purposes. In recent years, She has extended this line of inquiry to examine how structured physical activity and sport training can serve as powerful interventions for improving executive functioning and attentional control in children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Her work bridges laboratory-based cognitive assessments with real-world educational outcomes, investigating whether gains acquired through physical training transfer to academic performance, classroom behavior, and daily functioning. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates insights from cognitive psychology, educational neuroscience, and sport science, advancing both theoretical understanding and practical applications for inclusive education and child development.

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children. The global prevalence of ADHD is about 7.2% and 6.26% in China. ADHD is characterized by deficits in executive functions, including attentional control, working memory, and inhibition Physical exercise has been increasingly recognized as a promising intervention for executive functioning among children with ADHD through increased dopamine and norepinephrine availability, upregulation of BDNF, and enhanced prefrontal cortex activation. 

However, the field is rapidly moving from asking whether exercise works to understanding how and under what circumstances it works best. In this talk, I would like to share our recent empirical work wherein rock climbing exemplifies this shift, with the argument that sport training, particularly activities that combine physical exertion with cognitive demands, offers a unique, holistic approach to improving attention control and behavioral regulation in ADHD individuals. Importantly, the dual cognitive-motor challenge in climbing simultaneously engages the neural circuits that are dysfunctional in ADHD, creating a synergistic training effect. Critically, our study moves beyond controlled laboratory paradigms to examine whether the cognitive gains acquired through climbing transfer to children’s real-world functioning, such as their academic study and social interactions.

These findings illuminate several urgent future research directions. First, systematic comparisons across sport modalities are needed to identify which specific features (e.g., cognitive load, motor complexity, aerobic intensity, or social interaction) drive differential outcomes in ADHD children. Second, longitudinal studies are urgently needed to establish optimal dosage parameters and examine the sustainability of real-world transfer effects. Third, research should investigate individual difference factors to enable personalized training programs tailored to ADHD subtype, age, and comorbidity. By pursuing these priorities, we can transform sport training from a general wellness recommendation into a precise, evidence-based therapeutic tool that empowers children with ADHD.