Purpose: The evidence regarding the role of physical activity (PA) habits on cognitive development in children is still scarce. Our study aimed to assess the association between PA habits and cognitive growth patterns, including working memory (WM) and inattentiveness in a large sample of primary schoolchildren.

Method: This study included 2,897 children between 7 and 10 years old. WM was measured using the n-back task (2- and 3-back) and inattentiveness was measured using the attentional network task (ANT) on four occasions during one year. Parents completed a questionnaire with data about the extracurricular exercise of their child, commuting to school and other sociodemographic information at the first visit.

Results: Exercising twice per week or more was associated with better 2-back, 3-back and inattentiveness scores at baseline, as compared with the once per week or less category. Active commuting for more than 50 min was associated with better 3-back scores at baseline, as compared with passive commuting. No consistent associations were found between PA and cognitive growth.

Conclusion: Overall, although children with high levels of PA performed better in cognitive tasks at baseline, PA levels had no clear effects on cognitive growth trajectories.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/pes.2015-0157DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

physical activity
8
habits cognitive
8
cognitive growth
8
3-back inattentiveness
8
associated better
8
scores baseline
8
baseline compared
8
cognitive
6
activity cognitive
4
cognitive trajectories
4

Similar Publications

Background: It has been suggested that dog walking may protect against falls and mobility problems in later life, but little work to date has examined this.The aim of this study was to assess if regular dog walking was associated with reduced likelihood of falls, fear of falling and mobility problems in a large cohort of community-dwelling older people.

Methods: Participants ≥60 years at Wave 5 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing were included.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant shifts in societal norms and individual behaviors, including changes in physical activity levels. This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors and changes in physical activity levels during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels among adult Arkansans. Survey data were collected from 1,205 adult Arkansans in July and August 2020, capturing socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics and information on physical activity changes since the onset of the pandemic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Validity of the MED4CHILD tool for assessing adherence to the Mediterranean diet in preschool children.

Eur J Pediatr

January 2025

Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Zaragoza, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009, Saragossa, Spain.

Unlabelled: Most of the available tools to assess adherence to Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) were constructed for adults, having limited applicability to children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to validate a specific questionnaire to assess adherence to MedDiet in children aged 3 to 6 years (MED4CHILD questionnaire). The validation was performed in a baseline examination of a cohort of children who were recruited in schools in seven cities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A new vision of the role of the cerebellum in pain processing.

J Neural Transm (Vienna)

January 2025

Postgraduate Program in Physical Therapy (PPGFT), Department of Physical Therapy (DFisio), University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Washington Luis Road, Km 235, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13565-905, Brazil.

The cerebellum is a structure in the suprasegmental nervous system classically known for its involvement in motor functions such as motor planning, coordination, and motor learning. However, with scientific advances, other functions of the cerebellum, such as cognitive, emotional, and autonomic processing, have been discovered. Currently, there is a body of evidence demonstrating the involvement of the cerebellum in nociception and pain processing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose Of Review: This narrative review explores the role of Medical Nutritional Therapy (MNT) in managing Metabolic-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It aims to examine the effectiveness of specific nutritional strategies in preventing and treating this obesity-linked liver disease.

Recent Findings: Emerging evidence underscores the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, low-carbohydrate diets, and intermittent fasting in reducing liver fat, improving insulin sensitivity, and mitigating inflammation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!