title: Enhancing Neurobehavioral Gains with the Aid of Games and Exercise (ENGAGE): Initial open trial of a novel early intervention fostering the development of preschoolers' self-regulation.
abstract: Poor self-regulation during the preschool years predicts a wide array of adverse adult outcomes and, as such, is an important treatment target. We assessed the efficacy of a novel early intervention aimed at fostering the development of preschoolers' self-regulation. Enhancing Neurobehavioral Gains with the Aid of Games and Exercise (ENGAGE) involves parents and children playing a wide range of games targeting self-regulation on a daily basis over a 5-week period. Twenty-five New Zealand families, in whom parents identified their children as difficult to manage, took part in this study. Parent hyperactivity, aggression, and attention problems ratings on the BASC-2 were used to assess improvements in behavioral self-regulation, and subtests of the Stanford Binet-5 and NEPSY-2 were used to assess improvements in cognitive control. Improvements in parent-rated hyperactivity, aggression, and attention problems were maintained throughout the 12-month follow-up. In addition, improvements were found in two neurocognitive areas associated with self-regulation. While more rigorous randomized controlled trials are necessary, ENGAGE shows promise as a novel intervention for developing self-regulation in at-risk preschoolers.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Otago , Dunedin , Otago , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Dione M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Healey
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Halperin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: At-risk; Early-intervention; Preschoolers; Self-regulation