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Objective: Executive dysfunction is common in in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). This study examined the effects of the Special Olympics Unified Sports (UNS) soccer program on executive function (EF) and prefrontal cortex activation in ID adolescents. Methods: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was utilized to compare EF between a group participating in UNS soccer training (n = 18) and a control group (n = 26) in the flanker task, 2-back task, and dots–triangles task. Results: The results revealed that the soccer group performed significantly better in the dots-triangles and 2-back tasks than the control group. However, it is unclear whethersoccer training may improve activation of R-DLPFC during performance of the dotstriangles task. In the 2-back task, activation in the right frontopolar area (R-FPA) was lower in the soccer group when compared to the control group. Notably, no significant differences were observed in the flanker task Conclusion: In conclusion, UNS soccer training may positively affect working memory in adolescents with intellectual disabilities by improving activation of RFA, but whether it activates R-VLPFC is uncertain. These results indicate that the UNS soccer trainingprogram holds promise for enhancing executive function in adolescents with ID, and improving the quality of life in this population.

BackgroundWith the increasing popularity of smartphones, mobile phone addiction in university students has attracted widespread societal attention. Previous studies showed that family functioning and mobile phone addiction are related. However, the potential mechanisms involved in this relationship are unknown. This study examined the mediating effect of loneliness and the moderating effect of capacity to be alone on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction.MethodsA total of 1,580 university students were recruited. A cross-sectional study design and online questionnaire survey were employed to measure demographic variables, family functioning, loneliness, capacity to be alone, and mobile phone addiction in university students.ResultsFamily functioning is a significantly negative predictor of mobile phone addiction in university students, and loneliness has a mediating effect on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction. The capacity to be alone has moderating effects on the relationship between family functioning and loneliness and between family functioning and mobile phone addiction, and these correlation is stronger in university students with a low capacity to be alone.ConclusionThe moderated mediation model in this study improves understanding of the correlation between family functioning and mobile phone addiction in university students. Education professionals and parents should pay particular attention to family functioning in mobile phone addiction, particularly university students with low capacity to be alone.

IntroductionThe widespread use of smartphones has triggered concern over problematic smartphone use (PSPU), as well as the need to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. However, the correlation between cortical activation and deficient inhibitory control in PSPU remains unclear.MethodsThis study examined inhibitory control using the color–word matching Stroop task and its cortical-activation responses using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in college students with PSPU (n = 56) compared with a control group (n = 54).ResultsAt the behavioral level, Stroop interference, coupled with reaction time, was significantly greater in the PSPU group than in the control group. Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) signals associated with Stroop interference were significantly increased in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, left frontopolar area, and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Moreover, the PSPU group had lower Oxy-Hb signal changes associated with Stroop interference in the left-DLPFC, relative to controls.DiscussionThese results provide first behavioral and neuroscientific evidence using event-related fNIRS method, to our knowledge, that college students with PSPU may have a deficit in inhibitory control associated with lower cortical activation in the left-DLPFC.