Effects of Ball Combination Exercise Combined with cTBS Intervention on Sleep Problems in Children with Autism.

Sleep problems significantly affect the quality of life of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 12-week ball combination exercise, continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) stimulation, and combined intervention on sleep problems in children with ASD...

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Published in:Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 241 - 256
Main Authors: Xu, Decheng, Sun, Zhiyuan, Yang, Yahui, Cai, Kelong, Zhu, Lina, Qi, Kai, Liu, Zhimei, Shi, Yifan, Liu, Yufei, Qiao, Zhiyuan, Jiang, luanyue, Chen, Aiguo
Format: clinical trial research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Springer Nature Jan2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jan2026
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        10.1007/s10803-024-06555-4
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        atl: Effects of Ball Combination Exercise Combined with cTBS Intervention on Sleep Problems in Children with Autism.
      aug:
        au:
          Xu, Decheng
          Sun, Zhiyuan
          Yang, Yahui
          Cai, Kelong
          Zhu, Lina
          Qi, Kai
          Liu, Zhimei
          Shi, Yifan
          Liu, Yufei
          Qiao, Zhiyuan
          Jiang, luanyue
          Chen, Aiguo
        affil: https://ror.org/03tqb8s11 College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, 225127, Yangzhou, China
      sug:
        subj:
          Autism Spectrum Disorder Therapy
          Therapeutic Exercise Methods
          Sleep Disorders Therapy
          Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Methods
          Treatment Outcomes
          Human
          Funding Source
          Clinical Trials
          Male
          Female
          Child, Preschool
          Child
          Combined Modality Therapy
          Quality of Life
          Questionnaires
          Sleep Latency
          Anxiety
          Experimental Studies
          Quasi-Experimental Studies
          China
          Descriptive Statistics
          Comparative Studies
          Data Analysis Software
          One-Way Analysis of Variance
          Chi Square Test
          Post Hoc Analysis
          Sleep Quality Evaluation
          Child, Preschool: 2-5 years
          Child: 6-12 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Sleep problems significantly affect the quality of life of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 12-week ball combination exercise, continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) stimulation, and combined intervention on sleep problems in children with ASD. Forty-five ASD children were divided into three intervention groups (ball combination exercise(n = 12), cTBS stimulation(n = 10), combined (n = 12) and a control group (n = 11). The intervention groups underwent intervention, while the control group maintained daily activities. The effects were assessed using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) scale. The results revealed that after 12 weeks of intervention, three programs reduced sleep problems in children with ASD. The post-test scores of the cTBS group (p = 0.002) and the combined group (p < 0.001) were significantly lower than the baseline scores on the CSHQ scale. The exercise group (p = 0.002) and the combined group (p < 0.001) showed significant improvement in sleep anxiety, while there was no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of the three interventions for sleep-onset delay. The combined group outperformed the single intervention groups in the CSHQ score and sleep anxiety sub-dimensions. The combined intervention group showed slightly superior performance in sleep onset latency, however, there was no significant difference. Three interventions alleviated sleep issues in ASD children, with the combined method proving more effective. This study validates non-pharmacologic and combined approaches for ASD sleep problems. Future research should delve deeper into the mechanisms of these interventions in ASD children's sleep improvement.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        clinical trial
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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