Pan African Clinical Trials Registry
South African Medical Research Council, South African Cochrane Centre
PO Box 19070, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa
Telephone: +27 21 938 0835 or +27 21 938 0967
Email: pactradmin@mrc.ac.za Website: pactr.samrc.ac.za
Trial no.: PACTR202607746916572 Date of Registration: 08/07/2026
Trial Status: Retrospective registration - This trial was registered after enrolment of the first participant
TRIAL DESCRIPTION
Public title The effects of dual-task training on motor skills and cognitive functions in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Official scientific title Enhancing Postural Control and Cognitive Functioning in Children with ADHD: A Comparison of Single versus Dual-Task Training
Brief summary describing the background and objectives of the trial Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently exhibit concurrent deficits in cognitive and motor domains, particularly demonstrating impaired postural balance during demanding dual-task (DT) situations. While physical exercise and targeted balance protocols are effective interventions, cognitive-motor DT training has proven uniquely superior to single-task (ST) training for improving both domains simultaneously in various pediatric populations. However, despite the known benefits of DT interventions, no empirical data currently exist regarding their specific effects on the dual-task postural stability of children with ADHD. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and compare the effects of DT versus ST balance training on cognitive functions and postural balance under DT conditions in children with ADHD.
Type of trial RCT
Acronym (If the trial has an acronym then please provide)
Disease(s) or condition(s) being studied Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Sub-Disease(s) or condition(s) being studied
Purpose of the trial Physical activity and nutrition
Anticipated trial start date 29/09/2025
Actual trial start date 29/09/2025
Anticipated date of last follow up 24/11/2025
Actual Last follow-up date 24/11/2025
Anticipated target sample size (number of participants) 33
Actual target sample size (number of participants) 31
Recruitment status Completed
Publication URL
Secondary Ids Issuing authority/Trial register
STUDY DESIGN
Intervention assignment Allocation to intervention If randomised, describe how the allocation sequence was generated Describe how the allocation sequence/code was concealed from the person allocating the participants to the intervention arms Masking If masking / blinding was used
Parallel: different groups receive different interventions at same time during study Randomised Simple randomization using a randomization table created by a computer software program Allocation was determined by the holder of the sequence who is situated off site Masking/blinding used Outcome Assessors
INTERVENTIONS
Intervention type Intervention name Dose Duration Intervention description Group size Nature of control
Experimental Group Dual task training 3 times/week (40–50 minutes per session) 6 weeks This training followed the exact same physical balance protocol but was executed in a dual-task modality by adding various concurrent cognitive tasks. The underlying physical program consisted of three primary exercise modalities: static standing (single-leg, two-leg, tandem, and semi-tandem stances under open/closed-eye conditions), jumping exercises (double-leg and single-leg jumps in posteroanterior and mediolateral directions), and walking drills (tracking a footprint trail, walking ultra-slowly, balancing on a 15-cm narrow beam, walking backward, and performing a toe-to-heel gait). To introduce the cognitive load during these movements, participants simultaneously engaged in mental tasks designed to target executive functions, which included sequential counting, object or color recognition, forward and reverse digit span recall, answering basic questions, and completing the Stroop task. 11
Experimental Group Single task training 3 times/week (40–50 minutes per session) 6 weeks The physical training program consisted of three primary exercise modalities: static standing, jumping, and walking. Static balance training involved practicing single-leg, two-leg, tandem, and semi-tandem stances under both open and closed-eye conditions to progressively challenge stability. Jumping exercises targeted dynamic power and control, featuring double-leg and single-leg jumps performed in both posteroanterior and mediolateral directions with eyes open or closed. Finally, walking drills focused on dynamic coordination and gait control through diverse tasks, including tracking a footprint trail, walking as slowly as possible along a marked path, balancing on a 15-cm narrow beam, walking backward (with eyes open and closed), and practicing a toe-to-heel tandem gait. Each training session included a 10-minute warm-up consisting followed by 25-35 minutes of balance training and finally, a 5-min cool-down period. 10
Control Group Control None 6 weeks No intervention 10 Active-Treatment of Control Group
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
List inclusion criteria List exclusion criteria Age Category Minimum age Maximum age Gender
Inclusion criteria were based on a diagnosis of ADHD according to DSM-5 criteria and an age range of 9 to 12 years. Participants with neurological problems, learning difficulties, autism, Tourette's syndrome, intellectual disability, or severe psychiatric comorbidities other than ADHD, or consuming drugs or treatments expected to influence postural balance or executive functioning, were excluded. Child: 6 Year-12 Year 9 Year(s) 12 Year(s) Both
ETHICS APPROVAL
Has the study received appropriate ethics committee approval Date the study will be submitted for approval Date of approval Name of the ethics committee
Yes 21/05/2025 The Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of Sfax
Ethics Committee Address
Street address City Postal code Country
Majida Boulila street Sfax 3029 Tunisia
OUTCOMES
Type of outcome Outcome Timepoint(s) at which outcome measured
Primary Outcome postural balance 72 hours before the beginning of the intervention and 72 hours after the end of the intervention
Secondary Outcome Trail Making Test 72 hours before the beginning of the intervention and 72 hours after the end of the intervention
Secondary Outcome Verbal fluency 72 hours before the beginning of the intervention and 72 hours after the end of the intervention
Secondary Outcome Corsi test 72 hours before the beginning of the intervention and 72 hours after the end of the intervention
RECRUITMENT CENTRES
Name of recruitment centre Street address City Postal code Country
Nova School Gremda street Km, 2.5 Sfax 3000 Tunisia
Schooling plus Tanyour street, Km, 6 Sfax 3000 Tunisia
FUNDING SOURCES
Name of source Street address City Postal code Country
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project under Grant PNURSP2026R948 Eastern Ring Road, Exit 9, Al-Imam Bin Abdul Aziz Road, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Riyadh 11671 Saudi Arabia
SPONSORS
Sponsor level Name Street address City Postal code Country Nature of sponsor
Primary Sponsor Research laboratory EM2S Airport street Sfax 3000 Tunisia Research laboratory
COLLABORATORS
Name Street address City Postal code Country
CONTACT PEOPLE
Role Name Email Phone Street address
Principal Investigator Sonia Sahli sonia.sahli@isseps.usf.tn 0021698626525 Airport street
City Postal code Country Position/Affiliation
Sfax 3000 Tunisia Professor
Role Name Email Phone Street address
Public Enquiries Abdelbaki Khalili abdelbaki.khalili@isseps.usf.tn 0021696334996 Airport Street
City Postal code Country Position/Affiliation
Sfax 3000 Tunisia EM2S research laboratory
Role Name Email Phone Street address
Scientific Enquiries Rihab Borji rihab.borji@isseps.usf.tn 0021695844801 Taniyour Street
City Postal code Country Position/Affiliation
Sfax 3000 Tunisia Professor
REPORTING
Share IPD Description Additional Document Types Sharing Time Frame Key Access Criteria
Yes IPD that underlie the results reported in this article, after deidentification (text, tables, figures, and appendices) Informed Consent Form 12 months following article's publication Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal
URL Results Available Results Summary Result Posting Date First Journal Publication Date
No
Result Upload 1: Result Upload 2: Result Upload 3: Result Upload 4: Result Upload 5:
Result URL Hyperlinks Link To Protocol
Result URL Hyperlinks
Changes to trial information