Albury chiropractor Wayne Haynes is seeking 40 year 6 students to take part in about 30 minutes of testing that will involve balancing, discovering hidden shapes and a computer screen task.

“It will be fun and safe,” he said.

Supervised by the University of Canberra’s Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Dr Haynes can also give parents feedback on their children’s outcomes.

A chiropractor for 30 years, Dr Haynes said this research arose out of a common reaction he received from patients, including elite athletes, when he asked how they felt after treatment.

“They would often say ‘I feel taller’ or ‘I feel lighter’,” he said. “And I knew they weren’t taller, I knew they weren’t lighter.

“That change is a higher cognitive change, change in their cognitive processing skill, which means that, most likely, information from their body is being more efficiently or more accurately translated into a perception.”

Dr Haynes has previously conducted research for a long-term project, the LOOK Study, which examined how physical activity and early physical education impacted upon quality of life.

He said this latest analysis would develop into a measurement tool.

“To encourage and promote their academic outcomes, we can provide information in the future,” he said.

“If we can measure these things and understand them better, considering there is a slow decline in academic performance as well as physical fitness in the community in primary school kids, if we can find tools that enhance their physical activity levels as well as their cognitive skills, it’s really important.”