Effects of a 12-Week Pickleball Training Program on Cognitive and Motor Skills in Adolescents With Mild Intellectual Disability

NCT07586722 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: GO2025/2429
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 32
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate the effects of a 12-week pickleball training program on cognitive and motor outcomes in adolescents with mild intellectual disability. Pickleball is a low-impact racket sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, and is considered suitable for promoting both physical and cognitive engagement. A total of 32 students aged 14-18 years with mild intellectual disability, enrolled in a special education vocational school, will participate in the study. Participants will be assigned to either an intervention group (n = 16) or a control group (n = 16). The intervention group will receive structured pickleball training three times per week for 12 weeks, while the control group will continue their regular educational activities without additional intervention. Cognitive outcomes will be assessed using standardized computerized tests, including sustained attention (Mackworth Clock Test), visual-spatial memory (Corsi Block Test), selective attention and reaction (Change Detection Test), and working memory (Digit Span Test). Motor outcomes will be evaluated using grip strength, balance assessments, and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). Assessments will be conducted at four time points: baseline (pre-test), mid-intervention (6th or 7th week), post-intervention (week 12), and follow-up (4-6 weeks after completion). The primary aim is to determine whether structured pickleball training improves cognitive performance and motor skills in adolescents with mild intellectual disability. Findings from this study are expected to contribute to evidence-based physical activity interventions for individuals with intellectual disabilities and to expand the literature on the role of racket sports in cognitive and motor development.

Conditions

Intellectual Disability, Mild

Keywords

Pickleball; Intellectual Disability; Cognitive Function; Motor Skills; Attention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (8)

• Sustained Attention

  Sustained attention will be assessed using the Mackworth Clock Test. Higher scores indicate better sustained attention performance.

  Baseline (Week 0, pre-intervention), Mid-intervention (Week 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Visuospatial Working Memory

  Visuospatial working memory will be assessed using the Block Test. Higher scores indicate better visuospatial working memory performance.

  Baseline (Week 0, pre-intervention), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Selective Attention

  Selective attention will be assessed using the Change Detection Test. Higher scores indicate better selective attention performance.

  Baseline (Week 0, pre-intervention), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Working Memory

  Working memory will be assessed using the Digit Span Test. Higher scores indicate better working memory performance.

  Baseline (Week 0, pre-intervention), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Motor Proficiency

  Motor proficiency will be assessed using the BOT-2 Short Form. Higher scores indicate better motor proficiency.

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Balance

  Balance performance will be assessed using the balance subtests of the BOT-2. Higher scores indicate better balance performance.

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Hand Grip Strength

  Hand grip strength will be measured using a hand dynamometer. Higher scores indicate greater grip strength.

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Lower Limb Strength

  Lower limb strength will be assessed using the 30-second sit-to-stand test. Higher repetition scores indicate greater lower limb strength.

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Height

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Body Weight

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

• Body Mass Index (BMI)

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Weeks 6-7), Post-intervention (Week 12), and Follow-up (4-6 weeks after intervention completion)

Study Arms (2)

Pickleball Training Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this arm will participate in a 12-week structured pickleball training program. The intervention will be delivered three times per week under the supervision of a certified physical education specialist and an assistant instructor. Each session will last approximately 45 minutes and will include a standardized structure consisting of a 5-minute warm-up, 40 minutes of pickleball-specific training activities, and a 5-minute cool-down period. The training content will include fundamental and advanced pickleball skills such as serving, forehand and backhand strokes, volley, dink, lob, smash, drop shot, and basic game strategies. Sessions will be conducted either in the school gymnasium or outdoor court depending on environmental conditions. The intervention aims to improve motor proficiency, balance, strength, and cognitive performance in adolescents with mild intellectual disability.

Behavioral: Pickleball Training Intervention Group

Standard Special Education Curriculum

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants assigned to this arm will continue their regular special education curriculum without participation in any structured physical activity or pickleball-based training program during the study period.

Other: Standard Special Education Curriculum

Interventions

Pickleball Training Intervention Group BEHAVIORAL

A structured 12-week pickleball training intervention will be implemented for adolescents with mild intellectual disability. The program will be delivered three times per week under the supervision of a qualified physical education specialist and an assistant instructor. Each session will last approximately 45 minutes and will follow a standardized structure consisting of a 5-minute warm-up, 40 minutes of skill-based pickleball training, and a 5-minute cool-down period. The training content will include progressive instruction and practice of fundamental and advanced pickleball skills, including serving, forehand and backhand strokes, volley, dink, lob, smash, drop shot, and basic tactical gameplay. Sessions will be conducted in either an indoor gymnasium or outdoor court depending on weather conditions. The intervention is designed to improve motor proficiency, balance, muscular strength, and cognitive performance in participants with mild intellectual disability.

Pickleball Training Intervention Group

Standard Special Education Curriculum OTHER

Participants in the control group will continue their standard special education curriculum without participation in any structured physical activity or pickleball-based training throughout the study period.

Standard Special Education Curriculum

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Having a diagnosis of mild intellectual disability
• Being enrolled in a special education vocational high school
• Being between 14 and 18 years of age
• Having the ability to follow simple verbal instructions
• Having no additional severe or secondary disability
• Having no musculoskeletal condition preventing racket use
• Providing voluntary assent and parental consent

You may not qualify if:

• Refusal to participate in the study at any stage
• Irregular school attendance during the intervention period
• Failure to attend pickleball training sessions consistently
• Presence of a chronic medical condition limiting participation
• Participation in racket sports within the last 3 months
• Withdrawal of parental consent during the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Elif Top: lead
• Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Şehit Hakan Aktürk Special Education Vocational School

Burdur, Burdur, 15200, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Bohannon, R. W. (2019). Hand-grip dynamometry predicts future outcomes in aging adults. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 31(1), 21-26. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.31.21 Boucsein, W. (2012). Electrodermal activity (2nd ed.). Springer. Bruininks RH and Bruininks BD (2005) Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition. PsycTESTS Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/t14991-000. Casals, M., Jimenez, S., Caparros, T., Gallego, R, M. & Baiget, E. (2023). Scoping review and quality of studies on the epidemiology of pickleball injuries. Apunts Sports Medicine, 58. Casper, Jonathan & Bocarro, Jason & Drake, Nicholas. (2023). Physical Activity Associated with Older Adult Pickleball Participation: A Pilot Study. Recreational Sports Journal. 47. Chien, T. C., & Chen, C. C. (2025). Effects of Pickleball intervention on the self-esteem and symptoms of patients with schizophrenia. Sports, 13(1), 21. Chiles, L. (2025). Pickleball for all: Adaptive sports program to address developmental disabilities (pp. 2-14). Texas Woman's University. Fishman, M., & Hirsch, L. J. (2019). Electroencephalography (EEG) is the non invasive measurement of the brain's electric fields. Current Biology, 29(1), 444-450.

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Intellectual Disability; Lymphoma, Follicular

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Lymphoma; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms; Lymphoproliferative Disorders; Lymphatic Diseases; Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases; Immunoproliferative Disorders; Immune System Diseases

Study Officials

• Elif Top, Prof.Dr.

  Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: This study will use a parallel assignment design with two independent groups: an experimental group receiving a 12-week structured pickleball training program and a control group continuing their regular school-based physical education curriculum. Participants will not cross over between groups during the study period. Outcome assessments will be conducted at four time points (baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up) to evaluate both immediate and retained effects of the intervention. Group comparisons over time will be used to examine intervention effects on cognitive and motor outcomes.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 28, 2026
• First Posted: May 14, 2026
• Study Start: February 9, 2026
• Primary Completion: May 5, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)