ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Autism
This article is part of the Research TopicWomen in Psychiatry 2025: AutismView all 10 articles
Improved executive function and sleep quality in preteens with high-functioning autism following a structured physical activity program
Provisionally accepted
Miriam Richter1,2
Marie Taylor1,3
Sofia Åkerlund1,2Sofia Backman1,3
Sofia Krili1Björn A Johansson1,2Olof Rask1,2
Christine T Ekdahl1,3*- 1Lunds universitet Institutionen for kliniska vetenskaper Lund, Lund, Sweden
- 2Region Skane, Kristianstad, Sweden
- 3Skanes universitetssjukhus Lund, Lund, Sweden
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Purpose: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently exhibit atypical cognitive profiles, sensory processing challenges, sleep disturbances, and co-occurring psychiatric and somatic conditions. This exploratory prospective study, with a single-arm pre-post design, investigated the effects of a 10-12 weeks structured physical activity program on psychological symptoms, cognitive function, and sleep in children aged 10–14 years with high-functioning ASD. Methods: Pre- and post-intervention assessments included parent-reported questionnaires, computerized cognitive testing using Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), and actigraphy-based sleep-wake monitoring. Results: Sixteen children completed the intervention (n = 12 boys; median age 11.5 years). Following the intervention, parents reported improvements in executive functioning as measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and in sensory processing as assessed by the Child Sensory Profile. Objective cognitive testing indicated tentative improvements in executive functioning, particularly in planning and problem-solving, on the Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) task in CANTAB. Actigraphy data indicated improved sleep quality, reflected by a reduced fragmentation index. Conclusion: A structured physical activity program may improve executive functioning (as perceived by parents and supported by objective testing), enhance sensory processing, and improve sleep quality in children with high-functioning ASD who are not regularly physically active.
Keywords: Actigraphy, ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, CANTAB, Cognition, physical activity, Sleep
Received: 16 Oct 2025; Accepted: 29 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Richter, Taylor, Åkerlund, Backman, Krili, Johansson, Rask and Ekdahl. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Christine T Ekdahl
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