The primary goal of this study is to assess and develop an understanding of the effects of Assisted Cycling Therapy on manual motor performance in children with Down syndrome. Seven children (Mage 11.6 years old) completed a 30-minute cycle session 2x/week for 8 weeks on the PACT bicycle at a 35% greater rate than their self-selected rate. Pre- and post-testing of grip force with a dynamometer and unimanual and bimanual manual dexterity using the Purdue Pegboard were measured to determine changes in force production and fine motor control, respectively. Results consistently showed improvements in grip force in both hands and bimanual dexterity following PACT. My results are interpreted with respect to cerebral lateralization and neuroplasticity following PACT intervention.

This study examines the effectiveness of two modes of exercise on inhibitory control in adults with Down Syndrome (DS). Thirteen participants attended four sessions: a baseline assessment, an Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) session, a Resistance Training (RT) session, and a session of No Training (NT). In the baseline assessment, 1-repetition max (1RM) measurements and voluntary pedal rate measurements were taken. In the resistance training session, the leg press, chest press, seated row, leg curl, shoulder press, and latissimus pulldown were performed. In the cycling intervention, the participant completed 30 minutes of cycling. The Erikson Flanker task was administered prior to each session (i.e., pretest) and after the intervention (i.e., post-test). The results were somewhat consistent with the hypothesis that inhibition time improved more following RT and ACT than NT. there was also a significant difference between ACT and NT. Additionally, it was hypothesized that all measures would improve following each acute exercise intervention, but the most significant improvements were seen following ACT. In conclusion, an acute session of ACT demonstrated a significant trend towards improvements in inhibitory control in adults with DS which we interpreted using a model of neural changes.