Can Training Balance, or Enjoying Music, Improve Attention, Problem-solving and/or Behavior Control Abilities?

This randomized controlled trial will investigate the hypothesis that since balance and executive functions (EFs) require a similar neural circuit and EFs are recruited when trying to maintain balance, that training balance might improve EFs as well as balance. There will be an active control condition (watching music videos) and a no-treatment condition. Children (18-12 years old) will be randomly assigned to one of these conditions for 12 weeks (36 per condition). The balance and music conditions will involve 15-min sessions 3x/week and a weekly check-in session with an investigator. Participants will be assessed pre-intervention, immediately post and 3-months post.

Inclusion Criteria- Children between 8 to 12 years old. We decided to only include 8-12 years-old because their brains are quite plastic and their EFs still fairly immature (Bell & Cuevas, 2016; Robbins et al., 1998), allowing more room for improvement. allow for greater changes as both executive functions and balance skills are not yet at adult levels. Additionally, we are not testing children older than 12-year-old because of a worsen in balance control during the pick of puberty (around 12-14 yr.) (Paschaleri et al., 2022), believed to be due to the quick bone growth and increase seen during puberty. Also, we will not include those younger than 8-year-old because between 6-7 years children undergo a critical development of postural control strategies (Assaiante et al., 2005), which could influence the effect of any balance training intervention.Exclusion Criteria:Children not fluent in EnglishChildren with performance over the 85th percentile at screening assessment of postural balance or EFs that it leaves little room for them to improve further.Children taking any medication that might affect cognition (e.g., psychostimulants)Children undergoing EF training, which might affect their performance on EF tests.Children undergoing other targeted training to improve their balance (e.g., dance, yoga, tai chi, martial arts), which might affect their performance on balance tests.Children with severe anxiety who might find the balance training anxiety-provoking.Children unable to perform simple balance exercises because of a physical handicap, disability, or musculoskeletal injury.Children with significant hearing loss or visual impairment even with correction.Neither the child's parent/guardian nor other responsible person strong enough to catch the child should he or she start to fall would be available to spot the child during the weekly session in case the child is assigned to the BT intervention.