ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic, internet gaming became more popular as a way to cope with stress, but excessive gaming can lead to mental health issues like internet gaming disorder (IGD). IGD has serious consequences, especially among children and young adults, and the gaming industry's profits continue to grow. This study aims to understand the mental and behavioral health of adolescents with IGD participating in an equine-assisted learning (EAL) program and assess the changes in their addiction tendencies and emotional and behavioral problems. The results showed that the participants' tendency towards internet gaming addiction and emotional and behavioral problems decreased immediately after the EAL program, but they rose again a month later. This suggests the importance of ongoing program involvement. As COVID-19 restrictions ease worldwide, this study highlights the increasing risk of IGD. It suggests that EAL could be a valuable approach to treating behavioral addictions, including gaming addiction. While prior research has shown the effectiveness of EAL in treating substance addiction, more research is needed to explore its potential in treating various types of addictions, such as gambling or gaming addictions.
ABSTRACT
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Avian Influenza (AI) frequently occur in South Korea, resulting in high levels of occupational stress among quarantine workers forced to partake in massive livestock killings. This study explored the usefulness of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) in improving these workers' psychological and emotional functioning. A total of 51 FMD/AI control workers participated in 16 sessions of an EAL program facilitated by therapeutic riding professionals and trained horses. Results showed significant changes in their stress level, coping style, and overall quality of life-related to health, most notably increased vitality, enhanced emotional and social functioning, greater problem-solving, and less social avoidance after EAL participation. The usefulness of equine-assisted activities and the association between more significant stress coping ability and improved functioning in various areas of life are consistent with previous research findings. Implications for EAL application are discussed.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess disturbances in postural and gait balance and functional connectivity within the brain regions controlling balance in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Thirteen children with ADHD and 13 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. Gait balance was assessed by the difference in the center of pressure (COP) between the left and right foot, as well as the difference in plantar pressure between the left and right foot during gait. Neuroimaging data were acquired using a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner. Functional connectivity between the vermis of the cerebellum and all other brain regionswas assessed. RESULTS: The difference in plantar pressure between the left foot and right foot in the ADHD group was greater than that observed in the control group. The average COP jerk score of the right foot in the ADHD group was higher than that observed in the control group. A higher functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the right middle frontal gyrus (premotor cortex) and medial frontal gyrus (cingulate gyrus) was observed in the control group relative to the ADHD group. In the ADHD group, the difference in plantar pressure between the left and right foot was also negatively correlated with the beta-value within the middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSION: Children with ADHD had disturbance of balance as assessed by plantar pressure. Decreased brain connectivity from the cerebellum to the premotor cortex and anterior cingulate was associated with disturbances of posture and balance in children with ADHD.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Equine-assisted activity and training (EAAT) is thought to improve body balance and clinical symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study hypostheses were that EAAT would improve the clinical symptoms and gait balance in children with ADHD and that these improvements would be associated with increased brain connectivity within the balance circuit. METHODS: A total of 12 children with ADHD and 12 age- and sex-matched healthy control children were recruited. EAAT consisted of three training sessions, each 70 minutes long, once a week for 4 weeks. Brain functional connectivity was assessed by using functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of EAAT, children with ADHD showed improved scores on the Korean ADHD scale (K-ARS), while the K-ARS scores of healthy children did not change. During the 4 weeks, the plantar pressure difference between the left foot and right foot decreased in both the healthy control group and the ADHD group. After 4 weeks of EAAT, healthy controls showed increased brain connectivity from the cerebellum to the left occipital lingual gyrus, fusiform gyrus, right and left thalami, right caudate, right precentral gyrus, and right superior frontal gyrus. However, children with ADHD showed increased brain connectivity from the cerebellum to the right insular cortex, right middle temporal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and right precentral gyrus. In contrast, children with ADHD exhibited decreased brain connectivity from the cerebellum to the left inferior frontal gyrus. CONCLUSION: EAAT may improve clinical symptoms, gait balance, and brain connectivity, the last of which controls gait balance, in children with ADHD. However, children with ADHD who have deficits in the fronto-cerebellar tract did not exhibit changes in brain connectivity as extensive as those in healthy children in response to EAAT.
