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The present study aims: (1) to examine the association of physical fitness components (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, speed-agility, and muscular fitness) with brain current source density during working memory; and (2) to examine whether fitness-related current density was associated to working memory performance and academic achievement. Eighty-five children with overweight/obesity aged 8-11 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Physical fitness components were assessed using the ALPHA test battery. Electroencephalography recordings were performed during a Delayed Non-Match-to-Sample task that assessed working memory. Brain source analysis was carried out using sLORETA to estimate regional current source density differences between high and low (H-L) working memory loads. Academic achievement was measured by the Spanish version of the Woodcock-Johnson III test battery. The main results showed that higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with higher H-L current density differences in frontal, limbic, and occipital regions during encoding and maintenance task's phases ([beta][greater than or equal to]0.412, p[less than or equal to]0.019). A limbic area was further related to better working memory performance ([beta]=0.267, p = 0.005). During retrieval, higher cardiorespiratory fitness was also associated with higher current density in temporal regions ([beta]=0.265, p = 0.013), whereas lower muscular fitness was associated with higher current density in frontal regions ([beta]=-0.261, p = 0.016). Our results suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness, but not speed-agility nor muscular fitness, is positively associated with brain current source density during working memory processes in children with overweight/obesity. Fitness-related current density differences in limbic regions were associated with better working memory.

There has been an increasing body of evidence that a variety of factors, including physical activity, nutrition, and body composition, have a relationship with brain structure and function in school-aged children. Within the brain, the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to modulation by these lifestyle factors. This brain structure is known to be critical in learning and memory, and, we suggest, for progress in the classroom. Accordingly, the aims of this article include (1) examining the role of hippocampus and hippocampal-dependent memory in supporting academic performance; (2) reviewing the literature related to the associations between hippocampal-dependent memory and a number of lifestyle factors, including physical activity, nutrition, and body composition; and (3) discussing the implications of these findings in an educational setting. The findings discussed suggest that, through interventions that target these lifestyle factors, it may be possible to improve hippocampal function and academic performance in school-aged children.

There is growing interest in identifying the mechanisms underpinning the effects of physical activity on executive functions (e.g. inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility) in children. Our study examined cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and motor competence as potential mediators of this relationship. The study used baseline data from the Learning to Lead (L2L) cluster randomised controlled trial. In total, 675 children (7–11 years, 49.5% girls) completed measures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, motor competence, and executive functions. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the potential mediating roles of cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and motor competence in the cross-sectional association between MVPA and executive functions. Cardiorespiratory fitness (β = 0.06, SE = 0.021, p = 0.004) partially mediated the association between MVPA and cognitive flexibility. Muscular fitness was a significant mediator of the association between MVPA and both inhibitory control (β = 0.03, SE = 0.014, p = 0.027) and cognitive flexibility (β = 0.06, SE = 0.021, p = 0.005). No significant mediated effects were found for motor competence. Our findings suggest cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness (but not motor competence) mediate the association between physical activity and executive functions in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Motor competence and executive functions co-develop throughout childhood and adolescence, and there is emerging evidence that improvements in motor competence may have cognitive benefits in these populations. There is a need to provide a quantitative synthesis of the cross-sectional, longitudinal and experimental studies that have examined the association between motor competence and executive functions in school-aged youth. Objectives: The primary aim of our systematic review was to synthesise evidence of the association between motor competence and executive functions in school-aged children and adolescents (5–18 years). Our secondary aim was to examine key moderators of this association. Methods: We searched the PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus and EMBASE databases from inception up to 27 June 2023. We included cross-sectional, longitudinal and experimental studies that assessed the association between motor competence (e.g., general motor competence, locomotor skills, object control skills and stability skills) and executive functions (e.g., general executive functions, inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility) in children and adolescents aged 5–18 years. Results: In total, 12,117 records were screened for eligibility, and 44 studies were included. From the 44 included studies, we meta-analysed 37 studies with 251 effect sizes using a structural equation modelling approach in the statistical program R. We found a small positive association (r = 0.18, [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.13–0.22]) between motor competence and executive functions. The positive associations were observed in cross-sectional (r = 0.17, [95% CI 0.13–0.22]), longitudinal (r = 0.15, [95% CI 0.03–0.28]) and experimental studies (r = 0.25, [95% CI 0.01–0.45]). We also found that general motor competence (r = 0.25, [95% CI 0.18–0.33]), locomotor (r = 0.15, [95% CI 0.09–0.21]), object control (r = 0.14, [95% CI 0.08–0.20]) and stability (r = 0.14, [95% CI 0.08–0.20]) skills were associated with executive functions. We did not find any moderating effects for participants' age on the associations between motor competence and executive functions. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a small-to-moderate positive association between motor competence and executive functions in children and adolescents. The small number of experimental studies included in this review support the assertion that interventions targeting children's motor competence may be a promising strategy to improve their executive functions; however, more research is needed to confirm these findings. Future studies should explore the underlying mechanisms linking motor competence and executive functions as their comprehension may be used to optimise future intervention design and delivery. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42021285134. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether a 20‐week aerobic and resistance exercise program induces changes in brain current density underlying working memory and inhibitory control in children with overweight/obesity. Methods: A total of 67 children (10.00 ± 1.10 years) were randomized into an exercise or control group. Electroencephalography (EEG)‐based current density (μA/mm2) was estimated using standardized low‐resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) during a working memory task (Delayed non‐matched‐to‐sample task, DNMS) and inhibitory control task (Modified flanker task, MFT). In DNMS, participants had to memorize four stimuli (Pokemons) and then select between two of them, one of which had not been previously shown. In MFT, participants had to indicate whether the centered cow (i.e., target) of five faced the right or left. Results: The exercise group had significantly greater increases in brain activation in comparison with the control group during the encoding phase of DNMS, particularly during retention of second stimuli in temporal and frontal areas (peak t = from 3.4 to 3.8, cluster size [k] = from 11 to 39), during the retention of the third stimuli in frontal areas (peak t = from 3.7 to 3.9, k = from 15 to 26), and during the retention of the fourth stimuli in temporal and occipital areas (peak t = from 2.7 to 4.3, k = from 13 to 101). In MFT, the exercise group presented a lower current density change in the middle frontal gyrus (peak t = −4.1, k = 5). No significant change was observed between groups for behavioral performance (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: A 20‐week exercise program modulates brain activity which might provide a positive influence on working memory and inhibitory control in children with overweight/obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined differences in energy expenditure and bodily movement among children of different weight status during exergames that varied in mode and intensity. Methods: Fifty-seven 8- to 12-year-old children including overweight/obesity (n = 28) and normal weight (n = 29) played three 10-minute interval Xbox One exergames (Fruit Ninja, Kung-Fu, and Shape Up) categorized based on predominantly upper-, whole-, or lower-limb movement, respectively. The authors measured bodily movement through accelerometry and obtained energy expenditure and metabolic equivalent (MET) via indirect calorimetry. Results: Energy expended during gameplay was the highest in Shape Up (P <.01) and higher in Kung-Fu than Fruit Ninja (P <.01). Absolute energy expenditure was significantly higher in overweight/obese children (P <.01), but not when controlling for body mass across 3 exergames (P >.05). Based on the MET cut-points, overweight/obese children spent more time at light intensity (<3 METs) for Fruit Ninja (P <.05) and Shape Up (P <.01), but less time at vigorous intensity (≥6 METs) for Kung-Fu (P <.01) and Shape Up (P <.01). Lower-limb movements during Shape Up were less in overweight/obese children (P =.03). Conclusion: Although children in both groups expended similar energy relative to their body mass during gameplay, overweight/obese children spent more time at light intensity but less time at vigorous intensity with fewer movements especially while playing a lower limb–controlled exergame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript, which arose from the inaugural Tom Rowland Lecture Series at the 2016 North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine conference, provides a brief descriptive review of what is known (i.e., the state of the science) regarding the relation of childhood physical activity (PA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) to brain health, cognition, and academic outcomes. Gaps in the knowledgebase are identified, including characteristics of the PA stimulus that promotes changes in brain and cognition, whether critical periods in development exist in which PA/CRF may have a disproportionately large influence, the understanding of individual difference factors, and the influence upon learning. Lastly, several possible directions for future research are proposed. Although the field of childhood PA, CRF, brain, and cognition is rapidly expanding, there is considerable room for future growth. This manuscript may be helpful in shaping that future growth, with the goal of improving lifelong health and effective functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual differences in brain network modularity at baseline can predict improvements in cognitive performance after cognitive and physical interventions. This study is the first to explore whether brain network modularity predicts changes in cortical brain structure in 8‐ to 9‐year‐old children involved in an after‐school physical activity intervention (N = 62), relative to children randomized to a wait‐list control group (N = 53). For children involved in the physical activity intervention, brain network modularity at baseline predicted greater decreases in cortical thickness in the anterior frontal cortex and parahippocampus. Further, for children involved in the physical activity intervention, greater decrease in cortical thickness was associated with improvements in cognitive efficiency. The relationships among baseline modularity, changes in cortical thickness, and changes in cognitive performance were not present in the wait‐list control group. Our exploratory study has promising implications for the understanding of brain network modularity as a biomarker of intervention‐related improvements with physical activity. The present study is the first to show that brain network modularity at baseline predicted change in brain structure in children involved in a physical activity intervention. Further, intervention‐related changes in cortical thickness were associated with changes in cognition. The associations between modularity, change in cortical thickness, and cognition were not present in a wait‐list control group. The results have implications for modularity as a biomarker of intervention‐related changes with physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical inactivity has been shown to increase the risk for several chronic diseases across the lifespan. However, the impact of physical activity and aerobic fitness on childhood cognitive and brain health has only recently gained attention. The purposes of this article are to: 1) highlight the recent emphasis for increasing physical activity and aerobic fitness in children’s lives for cognitive and brain health; 2) present aspects of brain development and cognitive function that are susceptible to physical activity intervention; 3) review neuroimaging studies examining the cross-sectional and experimental relationships between aerobic fitness and executive control function; and 4) make recommendations for future research. Given that the human brain is not fully developed until the third decade of life, preadolescence is characterized by changes in brain structure and function underlying aspects of cognition including executive control and relational memory. Achieving adequate physical activity and maintaining aerobic fitness in childhood may be a critical guideline to follow for physical as well as cognitive and brain health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction : Brain network modularity is a principle that quantifies the degree to which functional brain networks are divided into subnetworks. Higher modularity reflects a greater number of within-module connections and fewer connections between modules, and a highly modular brain is often interpreted as a brain that contains highly specialized brain networks with less integration between networks. Recent work in younger and older adults has demonstrated that individual differences in brain network modularity at baseline can predict improvements in performance after cognitive and physical interventions. The use of brain network modularity as a predictor of training outcomes has not yet been examined in children. Method : In the present study, we examined the relationship between baseline brain network modularity and changes (post-intervention performance minus pre-intervention performance) in cognitive and academic performance in 8- to 9-year-old children who participated in an after-school physical activity intervention for 9 months (N = 78) as well as in children in a wait-list control group (N = 72). Results : In children involved in the after-school physical activity intervention, higher modularity of brain networks at baseline predicted greater improvements in cognitive performance for tasks of executive function, cognitive efficiency, and mathematics achievement. There were no associations between baseline brain network modularity and performance changes in the wait-list control group. Discussion : Our study has implications for biomarkers of cognitive plasticity in children. Understanding predictors of cognitive performance and academic progress during child development may facilitate the effectiveness of interventions aimed to improve cognitive and brain health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to quantify the association between aerobic fitness and academic achievement, and determine how different aerobic fitness tests and individual demographic characteristics may modify this association. It includes 41 cross-sectional and 7 longitudinal studies focusing on children and adolescents, from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database and Web of Science. Pooled effect sizes (ES) were estimated for the association between aerobic fitness and specific domains of academic achievement. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were based on aerobic fitness tests and demographic characteristics. The ES for the association between aerobic fitness with language/reading-skills, mathematics-related skills and composite scores, were 0.23 (95% CI: 0.12; 0.34); 0.27 (95% CI: 0.19; 0.36) and 0.28 (95% CI: 0.12; 0.45), respectively. Subgroup analyses by aerobic fitness test modified these associations; additionally, analyses by sex or age showed differences between boys and girls as well as between children and adolescents. Finally, meta-regressions revealed a slight effect of body mass index on these associations. Cardiorespiratory fitness is positively associated with academic achievement. Associations were dependent on demographic and aerobic fitness test characteristics, being stronger in boys than in girls, and in children than in adolescents. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42017069677 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hydration effects on cognition remain understudied in children. This is concerning since a large proportion of US children exhibit insufficient hydration.Objective: This study investigated the effects of water intake on urinary markers of hydration and cognition among preadolescents.Methods: A 3-intervention crossover design was used among 9- to 11-y-olds [n = 75 (43 males, 32 females); 58.2 ± 28.5 BMI percentile]. Participants maintained their water intake [ad libitum (AL)] or consumed high (2.5 L/d) or low (0.5 L/d) water for 4 d. The primary outcomes were performance on cognitive tasks requiring inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility assessed using a modified flanker, go/no-go, and color-shape switch tasks, respectively. Secondary outcomes included urine hydration indices [i.e., color, urine specific gravity (USG), osmolality] assessed using 24-h urine collected during day 4 of each intervention. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to assess intervention effects.Results: There was a significant difference in hydration across all 3 interventions. Urine color during the low intervention [median (IQR): 6 (2)] was greater than during AL [5 (2)], and both were greater than during the high intervention [18 (0)] (all P ≤ 0.01). Similarly, osmolality [low (mean ± SD): 912 ± 199 mOsmol/kg, AL: 790 ± 257.0 mOsmol/kg, high: 260 ± 115 mOsmol/kg] and USG [low (mean ± SD): 1.023 ± 0.005, AL: 1.020 ± 0.007, high: 1.005 ± 0.004] during the low intervention were greater during AL, and both were greater than during the high intervention (all P ≤ 0.01). USG and osmolality AL values were related to switch task measures (β: 0.21 to -0.31, P < 0.05). Benefits of the high intervention were observed during the switch task, whereby participants exhibited 34% lower working memory cost relative to the low intervention. No significant changes in cognition were observed for the flanker and go/no-go tasks.Conclusions: The water intervention improved urinary markers of hydration and had selective benefits during task switching. Furthermore, children's cognitive flexibility selectively benefits from greater habitual hydration and water intake. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02816450. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Brief vigorous physical activity bouts benefited cognitive processing speed. • Bouted physical activity was specifically related to neurofunctional measures. • The number of associations increased with physical activity intensity. • Observed associations largely did not vary with accelerometer epoch length. Image, graphical abstract Structured vigorous physical activity (VPA) can improve cognitive control in children, but studies relating daily physical activity (PA) to cognitive control have yielded conflicting findings. While objectively measured daily PA summarizes all occurrences of PA within a registered period, a minimum duration of continuous PA is required for registration of a PA bout. Because brief bouts of high-intensity PA can account for a large proportion of children's daily activity-related energy expenditure, this study assessed whether daily and bouted VPA were selectively related to cognitive control in preadolescents relative to other PA intensities. A total of 75 children between the ages of 8 and 10 years (49% girls) wore an ActiGraph wGT3X+ on the hip for 7 days. The acceleration signal from the vertical axis was summarized over 1 s, 5 s, and 15 s epochs. Daily and bouted moderate PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA, and VPA were measured. PA bouts were expressed as the frequency and time spent in 2 different continuous PA bouts, one lasting ≥10 s and the other lasting ≥30 s at a given intensity. Inhibitory control was assessed using behavioral responses to a modified flanker task (mean reaction time (RT mean) and accuracy). Attentional resource allocation and cognitive processing speed were measured using the amplitude and latency of the P3 component of event-related brain potentials, respectively. Associations between PA, behavioral indices of inhibitory control, P3 amplitude, and latency were assessed using hierarchical regression models. Daily VPA was not related to RT mean or accuracy on either congruent or incongruent trials. In contrast, more time spent in VPA bouts lasting ≥30 s predicted shorter P3 latency across epochs and flanker congruencies (all β ≤ –0.24, all p ≤ 0. 04). The associations between shorter P3 latency and the time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA bouts lasting ≥30 s were less consistent and largely limited to congruent trials (congruent: β (–0.31, –0.34)). No significant associations were observed upon correction for false discovery rate. The pattern of uncorrected associations aligns with the dose–response literature and suggests that brief VPA bouts may yield the greatest benefits to cognitive processing speed in preadolescents. Future studies using measures of brain structure and function are needed to understand the mechanisms linking bouted VPA to neurocognitive function during childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Purpose: Physical activity is known to provide important health benefits in school-age youth. However, until recently, few studies have examined associations between physical activity and health in young children. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the relationship between physical activity and selected health outcomes in children younger than 6 yr. Methods: A systematic search identified randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies examining the associations between physical activity and adiposity/weight status, bone health, cardiometabolic health, and cognition in children younger than 6 yr. Results: Twenty-seven studies met inclusion criteria and served as the basis for this systematic review. For weight status/adiposity, 12 of 15 studies found negative associations between physical activity and one or more measures of the outcome. For bone health, 10 articles based on four studies were identified, and nine studies showed stronger bone in more active children. For cardiometabolic health, three studies were identified and findings were limited and inconsistent. For cognition, two systematic reviews were identified and findings were limited. For all four health outcomes, evidence of dose–response relationships and effect modification by demographic factors was very limited. Conclusions: There is strong evidence indicating that higher amounts of physical activity are associated with better indicators of bone health and with reduced risk for excessive increases in weight and adiposity in children 3 to 6 yr. Evidence was too limited to support conclusions regarding the effects of physical activity on cardiometabolic health and cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This report aimed to systematically review the evidence for a differential association between objective and self-reported physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on academic achievement.Design: Systematic review.Data Sources: Studies were identified from searches in Embase, Education Resources Information Center, PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTdiscus and Web of Science databases from January 2000 to December 2016.Eligibility Criteria For Selecting Studies: Eligibility criteria included cross-sectional, longitudinal and interventional study designs. Outcomes included students' school grade or a standardised test or measure of academic achievement. Explanatory variables were cardiorespiratory fitness and objective and self-reported physical activity. Inclusion criteria included school-aged children and adolescents aged-18 years (or students from primary to secondary school when student's participants age was not described) and articles published in English, Portuguese or Spanish.Results: A total of 51 articles met inclusion criteria: 41 cross-sectional, 2 intervention and 8 longitudinal studies. Results from 11 studies were inconsistent regarding the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and academic achievement. Ten of the 16 articles reported positive associations between self-reported physical activity and academic achievement. From the 22 studies that analysed the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and academic achievement, it was verified that they all generally support the beneficial effect of cardiorespiratory fitness on students' academic achievement.Conclusion: Higher cardiorespiratory fitness may be important to enhance children and adolescents' health and, additionally, academic achievement. Due to a lack of consensus across studies, methodological issues associated with the assessment of physical activity should be considered when investigating physical activity and academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to investigate the associations between waist circumference, metabolic risk factors, and executive function in adolescents. Methods: The study was cross-sectional and included 558 adolescents (mean age 14.2 years). Anthropometrics and systolic blood pressure (sysBP) were measured and fasting blood samples were analyzed for metabolic risk factors. A metabolic risk factor cluster score (MetS-cluster score) was computed from the sum of standardized sysBP, triglycerides (TG), inverse high-density lipid cholesterol (HDLc) and insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment). Cognitive control was measured with a modified flanker task. Results: Regression analyses indicated that after controlling for demographic variables, HDLc exhibited a negative and TG a positive association with flanker reaction time (RT). Waist circumference did not demonstrate a statistically significant total association with the cognitive outcomes. In structural equation modeling, waist circumference displayed an indirect positive association with incongruent RT through a higher MetS-cluster score and through lower HDLc. The only statistically significant direct association between waist circumference and the cognitive outcomes was for incongruent RT in the model including HDLc as mediator. Conclusions: These findings are consonant with the previous literature reporting an adverse association between certain metabolic risk factors and cognitive control. Accordingly, these results suggest specificity between metabolic risk factors and cognitive control outcomes. Further, results of the present study, although cross-sectional, provide new evidence that specific metabolic risk factors may mediate an indirect association between adiposity and cognitive control in adolescents, even though a direct association between these variables was not observed. However, taking the cross-sectional study design into consideration, these results should be interpreted with caution and future longitudinal or experimental studies should verify the findings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effect of a 9-month physical activity (PA) intervention on children's cardiorespiratory fitness levels and neuroelectric indices of conflict monitoring (i.e., error-related negativity, ERN). Four hundred twenty-eight preadolescent children (8-9 years old) were randomized into a PA intervention or wait-list control group, and completed a fitness and cognitive control assessment (i.e., modified flanker task) at pre- and posttest. Following exclusion criterion, 308 children were included in the analyses (PA intervention: n5139; wait-list control: n5169). Children in the intervention displayed greater improvements in fitness and response accuracy, which were accompanied by stability of ERN amplitude from pre- to posttest. In contrast, the control group revealed increased ERN amplitude at posttest compared to pretest, despite no change in fitness or task performance. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of daily PA for promoting children's fitness and underlying neural processes associated with effective conflict monitoring. Such findings have significant implications for promoting organized PA programs intended to foster overall physical and brain health in school age children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The macular carotenoids lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) are obtained via diet and accumulate in the central retina where they are referred to as macular pigment. The density of this biomarker (macular pigment optical density; MPOD) has been positively correlated with cognitive functioning via measures of global cognition, processing speed, and visual-spatial abilities, among others. Although improvements in cognitive function have been found in adults, much less is known about how L and Z intake may support or improve cognitive functioning during periods of rapid developmental change, such as childhood and pre-adolescence. This study examined the relationship between MPOD and cognitive functioning in 51 7-13-year-old children (51% female). MPOD was measured using heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP) optimized for this age group. Cognitive function was assessed using the Woodcock-Johnson III (composite standard scores were obtained for Brief Intellectual Ability, Verbal Ability, Cognitive Efficiency, Processing Speed, and Executive Processes). In this sample, MPOD was significantly related to Executive Processes, r(47) = 0.288, p < 0.05, and Brief Intellectual Ability, r(47) = 0.268, p < 0.05. The relationship to Cognitive Efficiency was positive and trending but not significant, r(49) = 0.206, p = 0.074. In general, these data are consistent with those of adults showing a link between higher carotenoid status and improved cognitive functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a school‐based intervention with a tripling of physical education (PE) lessons from two (90 minutes) to six lessons per week (270 minutes) on scholastic performance. This study is part of the CHAMPS study‐DK, a quasi‐experimental study that began in 2008. The intervention group consisted of six schools, and the control group consisted of four matched schools (mean age at baseline=8.4 years, kindergarten class fourth grade). Academic performance was extracted from the national test system from 2010 to 2014 (Math and Danish were measured at third and sixth, and second, fourth and sixth grades, respectively). Participants included 1888 students participating in at least one scholastic performance test. Linear mixed models were applied to test for differences between groups and adjusted for known confounders. No significant differences were observed between groups in the academic performance tests (control group reference); Danish second grade β=−1.34 (95% CI −9.90, 7.22), fourth grade β=0.22 (95% CI −6.12, 6.56), sixth grade β=1.03 (95% CI −5.02, 7.08), and all grades combined β=0.28 (95% CI −5.74, 6.31) and Math third grade β=−2.87 (95% CI −9.65, 3.90), sixth grade β=0.99 (95% CI −7.36, 9.34) and combined β=−1.20 (95% CI −8.10, 5.71). In conclusion, no significant differences were observed between intervention and control schools for scholastic performance. Importantly, there were no negative effects of additional PE on scholastic outcomes, despite more PE and longer school days for intervention children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared changes in academic achievement across 3years between children in elementary schools receiving the Academic Achievement and Physical Activity Across the Curriculum intervention (A+PAAC), in which classroom teachers were trained to deliver academic lessons using moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to a non-intervention control. Elementary schools in eastern Kansas (n=17) were cluster randomized to A+PAAC (N=9, target ≥100min/week) or control (N=8). Academic achievement (math, reading, spelling) was assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III) in a sample of children (A+PAAC=316, Control=268) in grades 2 and 3 at baseline (Fall 2011) and repeated each spring across 3years. On average 55min/week of A+PACC lessons were delivered each week across the intervention. Baseline WIAT-III scores (math, reading, spelling) were significantly higher in students in A+PAAC compared with control schools and improved in both groups across 3years. However, linear mixed modeling, accounting for baseline between group differences in WIAT-III scores, ethnicity, family income, and cardiovascular fitness, found no significant impact of A+PAAC on any of the academic achievement outcomes as determined by non-significant group by time interactions. A+PAAC neither diminished or improved academic achievement across 3-years in elementary school children compared with controls. Our target of 100min/week of active lessons was not achieved; however, students attending A+PAAC schools received an additional 55min/week of MVPA which may be associated with both physical and mental health benefits, without a reduction in time devoted to academic instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the relationship between factors including physical activity (PA), fitness and academic achievement in children. According to the article PA benefit the cognitive learning of children, which improves their academic performance. The inconsistency of findings in this study is also mentioned.

Objective: To assess whether preadolescents' objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with cognitive control and academic achievement, independent of aerobic fitness.Study Design: A sample of 74 children (Meanage = 8.64 years, SD = .58, 46% girls) were included in the analyses. Daily MVPA (min/d) was measured over 7 days using ActiGraph wGT3X+ accelerometer. Aerobic fitness was measured using a maximal graded exercise test and expressed as maximal oxygen uptake (mL*kg(-1)*min(-1)). Inhibitory control was measured with a modified Eriksen flanker task (reaction time and accuracy), and working memory with an Operation Span Task (accuracy scores). Academic achievement (in reading, mathematics, and spelling) was expressed as standardized scores on the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement. The relationships were assessed using hierarchical regression models adjusting for aerobic fitness and other covariates.Results: No significant associations were found between MVPA and inhibition, working memory, or academic achievement. Aerobic fitness was positively associated with inhibitory control (P = .02) and spelling (P = .04) but not with other cognitive or academic variables (all P > .05).Conclusions: Aerobic fitness, rather than daily MVPA, is positively associated with childhood ability to manage perceptual interference and spelling. Further research into the associations between objectively measured MVPA and cognitive and academic outcomes in children while controlling for important covariates is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation examined the sexual dimorphic patterns of cardiorespiratory fitness to working memory in preadolescent children (age range: 7.7-10.9). Data were collected in three separate studies (Study 1: n = 97, 42 females; Study 2: n = 95, 45 females; Study 3: n = 84, 37 females). All participants completed a cardiorespiratory fitness assessment in addition to a specific measure of working memory (i.e. the operation span task, the n-back task, or the Sternberg task). Results from all three samples revealed that higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels were associated with better working memory performance only for males with no such relation observed for females. In addition, the sexually dimorphic pattern was selective for the most challenging working memory conditions in each task. Together, these findings reveal new evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness is selectively related to better working memory performance for male children. This investigation provides additional insight into how interventions aimed at improving fitness may influence cognitive development differentially among preadolescent children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies in rodents and older humans have shown that the hippocampus-a brain structure critical to relational/associative memory-has remarkable plasticity as a result of lifestyle factors (eg, exercise). However, the effect of dietary intake on hippocampal-dependent memory during childhood has remained unexamined. Objective: We investigated the cross-sectional relation of dietary components characteristic of the Western diet, including saturated fatty acids (SFAs), omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, and refined sugar, with hippocampal-dependent relational memory in prepubescent children. Design: Participants aged 7-9 y (n = 52) reported their dietary intake by using the Youth-Adolescent Food-Frequency Questionnaire and completed memory tasks designed to assess relational (hippocampal-dependent) and item (hippocampal-independent) memory. Performance on the memory tasks was assessed with both direct (accuracy) and indirect (eye movement) measures. Results: Partial correlations adjusted for body mass index showed a positive relation between relational memory accuracy and intake of omega-3 fatty acids and a negative relation of both relational and item memory accuracy with intake of SFAs. Potential confounding factors of age, sex, intelligence quotient, socioeconomic status, pubertal timing, and aerobic fitness (maximal oxygen volume) were not significantly related to any of the dietary intake measures. Eye movement measures of relational memory (preferential viewing to the target stimulus) showed a negative relation with intake of added sugar. Conclusions: SFA intake was negatively associated with both forms of memory, whereas omega-3 fatty acid intake was selectively positively associated with hippocampal-dependent relational memory. These findings are among the first to show a link between habitual dietary intake and cognitive health as pertaining to hippocampal function in childhood. The Fitness Improves Thinking Kids (FITKids) and FITKids2 trials were registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01334359 and NCT01619826, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving academic achievement and reducing the rates of obesity in elementary school students are both of considerable interest. Increased physical activity during academic instruction time during school offers a potential intervention to address both issues. A program titled "Physical Activity Across the Curriculum" (PAAC) was developed in which classroom teachers in 22 elementary schools were trained to deliver academic instruction using physical activity with a primary aim of preventing increased BMI. A secondary analysis of data assessed the impact of PAAC on academic achievement using the Weschler Individual Achievement Test-II and significant improvements were shown for reading, math and spelling in students who participated in PAAC. Based on the results from PAAC, an adequately powered trial will be conducted to assess differences in academic achievement between intervention and control schools called, "Academic Achievement and Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (A + PAAC)." Methods/design: Seventeen elementary schools were cluster randomized to A + PAAC or control for a 3-year trial. Classroom teachers were trained to deliver academic instruction through moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with a target of 100+ minutes of A + PAAC activities per week. The primary outcome measure is academic achievement measured by the Weschler Individual Achievement Test-III, which was administered at baseline (Fall 2011) and will be repeated in the spring of each year by assessors blinded to condition. Potential mediators of any association between A + PAAC and academic achievement will be examined on the same schedule and include changes in cognitive function, cardiovascular fitness, daily physical activity, BMI, and attention-to-task. An extensive process analysis will be conducted to document the fidelity of the intervention. School and student recruitment/randomization, teacher training, and baseline testing for A + PAAC have been completed. Nine schools were randomized to the intervention and 8 to control. A random sample of students in each school, stratified by gender and grade (A + PAAC = 370, Control = 317), was selected for outcome assessments from those who provided parental consent/child assent. Baseline data by intervention group are presented. Discussion: If successful, the A + PAAC approach could be easily and inexpensively scaled and disseminated across elementary schools to improve both educational quality and health. Funding source: R01- DK85317. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine whether childhood obesity is associated with inhibitory control, we compared healthy weight and obese preadolescent children's task performance along with the N2 and P3 components during a Go/NoGo task. Results indicated that obese children exhibited lower response accuracy relative to healthy weight children during the NoGo task requiring greater amounts of inhibitory control, whereas no such difference was observed during the Go task. Neuroelectric data indicated that healthy weight children exhibited a more frontal distribution for the NoGo P3 relative to the Go P3, whereas obese children had similar topographic distributions between the Go P3 and NoGo P3. Further, obese children had larger NoGo N2 amplitude relative to the Go N2, whereas this difference was not observed for healthy weight children. These findings suggest that childhood obesity is negatively and selectively associated with prefrontal inhibitory control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minimum number of trials necessary to accurately characterize the error-related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe) across the life span was investigated using samples of preadolescent children, college-age young adults, and older adults. Event-related potentials and task performance were subsequently measured during a modified flanker task. Response-locked averages were created using sequentially increasing errors of commission in blocks of two. Findings indicated that across all age cohorts ERN and Pe were not significantly different relative to the within-participants grand average after six trials. Further, results indicated that the ERN and Pe exhibited excellent internal reliability in preadolescent children and young adults after six trials, but older adults required eight trials to reach similar reliability. These data indicate that the ERN and Pe may be accurately quantified with as few as six to eight commission error trials across the life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article probes on the association between aerobic fitness and interference control by implementing the Stroop color-word task and the FitnessGram in 74 children between 7 and 12 years of age. It concerns on the efficacy of the applied activity test programs to link fitness and executive functions among the 74 children. It also considers the need of further research to examine the apparent validity of the overall and specific relationship between good physical condition and the child's cognitive development.

Introduction: Children’s anxiety is associated with decreased cognitive performance. One well-established behavioral intervention to transiently improve cognitive performance in children is acute aerobic exercise (AAE). Thus far, however, it is unclear whether the benefits of AAE on cognition vary based on individual differences in children’s anxiety level. Therefore, we investigated whether trait anxiety levels mediate the effects of AAE on cognitive outcomes in preadolescent children. Methods: Ninety-five preadolescent children (9 to 11 yr, 41 females) underwent two experimental interventions in a random, crossover, and counterbalanced design: an exercise protocol (20 min of walking at 65% to 75% of HRpeak) and a nonexercise control (seated rest). Behavioral indices of cognitive performance (accuracy, reaction times, response time (RT) variability) were assessed before and after each intervention using a modified flanker task. The effects of each intervention on cognitive performance were calculated as pre- to postintervention differences (effect scores). These scores were first correlated with children’s personal characteristics: anxiety (STAIC), sex, age, body mass index, intelligence quotient, and aerobic fitness. Significant correlations guided subsequent hierarchical regression models, which specifically tested for associations between the effects scores and anxiety levels while controlling for remaining relevant covariates. Results: Regression analysis revealed that anxiety was a significant predictor of the effects that AAE and rest had on cognitive performance. Specifically, higher anxiety scores were associated with greater exercise-induced cognitive benefits (increased accuracy, decreased RT variability; all P < 0.05) and greater rest-induced cognitive impairments (decreased accuracy, increased RT variability; all P < 0.01). Conclusions: These findings suggest that children reporting higher trait anxiety might experience greater cognitive benefits from a single bout of AAE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the indirect effects of cardiorespiratory fitness on scholastic performance through executive functions. More precisely, we examined the contribution of the different domains of executive functions, and whether this relationship was specific to certain school topics. Methods: Children 8--12 yr old completed nine cognitive tests and the multistage fitness test. Structural equationmodeling techniques were used to analyze the role of different domains of executive functions (inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and a common factor to all tasks) in the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and school grades in three domains: (i) mathematics; ii) grammar, spelling, and vocabulary; and (iii) text comprehension and expression. Covariate analyses included age and socioeconomic status. Results: The results of this study showed that an indirect effect of the various domains of executive functions explained, in part, the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and (i)mathematics (β = 0.12, SE = 0.03, P < 0.001), and between cardiorespiratory fitness and (ii) grammar, spelling, and vocabulary (β = 0.12, SE = 0.03, P < 0.001). No relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and (iii) text comprehension and expression was observed. Although executive functions correlated with school grades, cognitive flexibility drove the indirect effect when all executive function domains were simultaneously taken into account. Conclusions: These results show the role that executive functions play in understanding the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and scholastic performance. Importantly, not all executive function domains contributed equally because cognitive flexibility played a leading role in this wide age range. Furthermore, the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and scholastic performance was strongest for mathematics and for low-level language topics but nonsignificant for higher-level language topics, providing a more modulated view of the effect of cardiorespiratory fitness on language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evidence regarding the influence of sedentary behavior (SB) on brain health – namely cognitive performance, dementia risk, and brain-related biological markers – is mixed, and most studies focus on middle-aged and older adults. Type of SB (e.g., cognitively active SB vs cognitively passive SB) appears to be differentially linked to brain health, but further studies considering dose-response relationships and the context are needed to verify such a relationship. Evidence is needed on how interrupting prolonged sitting with different types of physically active breaks may mitigate potential adverse impacts of SB on specific aspects of brain health. Future studies should utilize innovative approaches to capture SB within the 24-h activity cycle in ecologically valid free-living settings, assess the characteristics and context of SB, and consider different levels of analysis, to reach robust conclusions on relationships between SB and brain health. Higher levels of physical activity are known to benefit aspects of brain health across the lifespan. However, the role of sedentary behavior (SB) is less well understood. In this review we summarize and discuss evidence on the role of SB on brain health (including cognitive performance, structural or functional brain measures, and dementia risk) for different age groups, critically compare assessment approaches to capture SB, and offer insights into emerging opportunities to assess SB via digital technologies. Across the lifespan, specific characteristics of SB (particularly whether they are cognitively active or cognitively passive) potentially act as moderators influencing the associations between SB and specific brain health outcomes. We outline challenges and opportunities for future research aiming to provide more robust empirical evidence on these observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: Advances in neuroimaging techniques have resulted in an exponential increase in the number of studies investigating the effects of physical activity on brain structure and function. Authors of studies have linked physical activity and fitness with brain regions and networks integral to cognitive function and scholastic performance in children and adolescents but findings have not been synthesized. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review of studies in which the impact of physical activity on brain structure and function in children and adolescents is examined. DATA SOURCES: Six electronic databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Scopus, Ovid Medline, SportDiscus, and Embase) were systematically searched for experimental studies published between 2002 and March 1, 2019. STUDY SELECTION: Two reviewers independently screened studies for inclusion according to predetermined criteria. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently extracted data for key variables and synthesized findings qualitatively. RESULTS: Nine studies were included (task-based functional MRI [n = 4], diffusion tensor imaging [n = 3], arterial spin labeling [n = 1], and resting-state functional MRI [n = 1]) in which results for 5 distinct and 4 similar study samples aged 8.7 ± 0.6 to 10.2 ± 1.0 years and typically of relatively low socioeconomic status were reported. Effects were reported for 12 regions, including frontal lobe (n = 3), parietal lobe (n = 3), anterior cingulate cortex (n = 2), hippocampus (n = 1), and several white matter tracts and functional networks. LIMITATIONS: Findings need to be interpreted with caution as quantitative syntheses were not possible because of study heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence from randomized controlled trials that participation in physical activity may modify white matter integrity and activation of regions key to cognitive processes. Additional larger hypothesis-driven studies are needed to replicate findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A growing body of research has detailed the beneficial relation of chronic participation in—and acute responses to—physical activity on aspects of cognition that underlie scholastic achievement. Here, we review the relevant neuroelectric findings on this beneficial relation in children, providing support for the influence of physical activity on specific cognitive processes that comprise academic performance. Method: A review of studies examining physical activity and neuroelectric concomitants of cognition during childhood is described. When applicable, research involving adult populations is also described to better inform on this relationship in children. Results: Collectively, the data support a beneficial relation of chronic and acute participation in physical activity to brain health and cognition. The results suggest more effective allocation of cognitive processes involved in stimulus engagement and action monitoring during tasks requiring variable amounts of cognitive control in children. Conclusion: Physical activity may influence brain health and cognition in children, leading to enhanced scholastic performance and greater overall effective functioning across the lifespan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Childhood obesity is a global health concern, with >340 million youth considered overweight or obese. In addition to contributing greatly to health care costs, excess adiposity associated with obesity is considered a major risk factor for premature mortality from cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and is also negatively associated with cognitive and brain health. A complementary line of research highlights the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness, a by-product of engaging in physical activity, on an abundance of health factors, including cognitive and brain health. Methods: This study investigated the relationship among excess adiposity (visceral adipose tissue [VAT], subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue), total abdominal adipose tissue, whole-body percent fat [WB%FAT], body mass index (BMI), and fat-free cardiorespiratory fitness (FF-V̇O2max) on resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in 121 (f = 68) children (7–11 yr) using a data-driven whole-brain multivoxel pattern analysis. Results: Multivoxel pattern analysis revealed brain regions that were significantly associated with VAT, BMI, WB%FAT, and FF-V̇O2 measures. Yeo's (2011) RSFC-based seven-network cerebral cortical parcellation was used for labeling the results. Post hoc seed-to-voxel analyses found robust negative correlations of VAT and BMI with areas involved in the visual, somatosensory, dorsal attention, ventral attention, limbic, frontoparietal, and default mode networks. Further, positive correlations of FF-V̇O2 were observed with areas involved in the ventral attention and frontoparietal networks. These novel findings indicate that negative health factors in childhood may be selectively and negatively associated with the 7 Yeo-defined functional networks, yet positive health factors (FF-V̇O2) may be positively associated with these networks. Conclusions: These novel results extend the current literature to suggest that BMI and adiposity are negatively associated with, and cardiorespiratory fitness (corrected for fat-free mass) is positively associated with, RSFC networks in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the associations of objectively measured and self-reported physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior with white matter microstructure in children with overweight or obesity. Methods: In a sample of 103 participants (age, 10.02 ± 1.15 yr; 42 girls) from the ActiveBrains project, we assessed PA and sedentary behavior using accelerometers (GT3X+; ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL), and the Youth Activity Profile-Spain questionnaire. Objectively measured PA and sedentary behavior were classified into different intensities following the hip- and wrist-based cutoff points for the Euclidean Norm Minus One metric by Hildebrand et al., wrist-based cutoff points for counts metric by Chandler et al., and hip-based cutoff points for counts metric for Romanzini et al. and Evenson et al. Magnetic resonance imaging of white matter microstructure, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) were derived from diffusion tensor imaging. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations of objectively measured and self-reported PA and sedentary behavior with global and tract-specific FA and MD. Results: Self-reported total PA was positively associated with global FA (β = 0.236, P = 0.038), whereas watching television was negatively associated with global FA (β = −0.270, P = 0.014). In regard to the objective measures, using single regression models, light PA (β = 0.273, P = 0.016), moderate-to-vigorous PA (β = 0.257, P = 0.035), and total PA (β = 0.294, P = 0.013) were positively associated with global FA only when Hildebrand–Euclidean Norm Minus One hip cut points were used for analyses. Lastly, no association was found between PA and sedentary behavior and FA and MD within individual tracts. Conclusions: Our results suggest that PA and watching television are related to white matter microstructure in children with overweight or obesity. However, longitudinal large-scale studies are needed to confirm and expand these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in children points to aerobic fitness as a source of individual differences in academic achievement. By examining the indirect effects of executive functions (EF) and intelligence on the relationship between aerobic fitness and academic achievement, the present study provides novel insight about the cognitive mechanisms underlying this relationship. 218 children (8–10 years) completed the following assessments: (i) a VO 2 max test to assess aerobic fitness; (ii) four tasks tapping components of EF (i.e., inhibition and cognitive flexibility); (iii) sub-tests of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test to assess fluid and crystallized intelligence; and (iv) sub-tests of arithmetic, spelling, and reading achievement (WRAT 3rd edition). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to examine the indirect role of EF and intelligence on the relationship between aerobic fitness and sub-domains of academic achievement. Covariate analyses included age, pubertal timing, and socio-economic status. Preliminary analysis via linear regression showed a direct effect of aerobic fitness on arithmetic achievement, whereas no effect was observed on spelling and reading achievement. Importantly, multiple mediation SEM revealed the direct effect of aerobic fitness on arithmetic achievement disappeared after accounting for the indirect effects of EF, whereas intelligence did not contribute significantly on this complex mediation process. Moreover, among EF components, cognitive flexibility, was the main driver of the relationship between aerobic fitness and arithmetic achievement. Unpacking which components of EF and intelligence affect the link between aerobic fitness and academic achievement, holds the promise of better understanding the heterogeneity still present in the literature. • Aerobic fitness (AF) predicted arithmetic, but not reading and spelling skills. • AF predicted executive functions (EF), but not intelligence. • Both EF and intelligence predicted arithmetic, reading, and spelling skills. • EF indirectly explained the link between AF and arithmetic. • Intelligence did not explain the link between AF and arithmetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cortical thickness and surface area are thought to be genetically unrelated and shaped by independent neurobiological events suggesting that they should be considered separately in morphometric analyses. Although the developmental trajectories of cortical thickness and surface area may differ across brain regions and ages, there is no consensus regarding the relationships of physical fitness with cortical thickness and surface area as well as for its subsequent influence on intelligence. Thus, this study examines: (i) the associations of physical fitness components (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, speed-agility and muscular fitness) with overall and regional cortical thickness and surface area; (ii) whether body composition indicators (i.e., body mass index, fat-free mass index and fat mass index) mediate these associations; and (iii) the association of physical fitness and cortical thickness with intelligence in overweight/obese children. A total of 101 overweight/obese children aged 8–11 years were recruited in Granada, Spain. The physical fitness components were assessed following the ALPHA health-related fitness test battery. T1-weighted images were acquired with a 3.0 Tesla Siemens Magnetom Tim Trio system. We used FreeSurfer software version 5.3.0 to assess cortical thickness (mm) and surface area (mm2). The main results showed that cardiorespiratory fitness and speed-agility were related to overall cortical thickness (β = 0.321 and β = 0.302, respectively; both P < 0.05), and in turn, cortical thickness was associated with higher intelligence (β = 0.198, P < 0.05). Muscular fitness was not related to overall cortical thickness. None of the three physical fitness components were related to surface area (p > 0.05). The associations of cardiorespiratory fitness and speed-agility with overall cortical thickness were mediated by fat mass index (56.86% & 62.28%, respectively). In conclusion, cardiorespiratory fitness and speed-agility, but not muscular fitness, are associated with overall cortical thickness, and in turn, thicker brain cortex is associated with higher intelligence in overweight/obese children. Yet, none of the three physical fitness components were related to surface area. Importantly, adiposity may hinder the benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness and speed-agility on cortical thickness. Understanding individual differences in brain morphology may have important implications for educators and policy makers who aim to determine policies and interventions to maximize academic learning and occupational success later in life. Highlights • Cardiorespiratory fitness and speed-agility, but not muscular fitness, were associated with overall cortical thickness. • None of the three physical fitness components were related to surface area. • Adiposity may hinder the beneficial influence of fitness on cortical thickness, and in turn, on intelligence. • Interventions focused on aerobic exercise and motor skills are important to improve brain health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation in classroom physical activity (PA) may improve time-on-task (TOT); however, the influence of sustained moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) on TOT is unknown. Purpose: To explore the influence of classroom PA delivered with academic lessons on TOT, determine if the relationship between classroom PA and TOT differs by age, sex, race/ethnicity, weight or baseline fitness, and identify the influence of MVPA on TOT when controlling for demographic variables. Methods: Teachers in intervention schools were asked to deliver two 10-min PA lessons per day, 5 d·wk-1. PA was observed in both intervention and control schools to determine the amount and intensity of PA. Time-on-task was observed before and immediately after PA. Anthropometrics and fitness were assessed at baseline and end of the school year for 3 yr. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate overall group difference, change over the study, and group difference in change while accounting for covariates. Results: Students who participated in PA lessons engaged in significantly more MVPA than those in the control schools in all 3 yr (all P < 0.001). There was a significant linear increase in the percent of TOT before PA lessons for both control and intervention groups over the 3-yr period (P < 0.001), with no group difference. The intervention group spent significantly more TOT (P = 0.01) after PA than the control group. The percent of time spent in MVPA was significantly associated with the percent of TOT (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Results indicate that children who received PA lessons participated in significantly more MVPA than those who did not and that PA was significantly associated with more TOT. These findings provide support for classroom PA as a means of increasing TOT in elementary age children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between aerobic and muscular fitness with working memory and academic achievement in preadolescent children. Methods: Seventy-nine 9- to 11-yr-old children completed an aerobic fitness assessment using a graded exercise test; a muscular fitness assessment consisting of upper body, lower body, and core exercises; a serial n-back task to assess working memory; and an academic achievement test of mathematics and reading. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that after controlling for demographic variables (age, sex, grade, IQ, socioeconomic status), aerobic fitness was associated with greater response accuracy and d' in the 2-back condition and increased mathematic performance in algebraic functions. Muscular fitness was associated with increased response accuracy and d', and longer reaction time in the 2-back condition. Further, the associations of muscular fitness with response accuracy and d' in the 2-back condition were independent of aerobic fitness. Conclusion: The current findings suggest the differential relationships between the aerobic and the muscular aspects of physical fitness with working memory and academic achievement. With the majority of research focusing on childhood health benefits of aerobic fitness, this study suggests the importance of muscular fitness to cognitive health during preadolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this investigation was to examine the influence of pediatric sport-related concussion on brain and cognitive function. To do so, we used a between-participants design, measures of executive control, and event-related potentials (ERPs). The findings demonstrate that children with a history of concussion exhibit behavioral deficits in attention, working memory and impulse control, as well as neuroelectric alterations in ERP indices of visual attention (N1), conflict resolution (N2) and attentional resource allocation (P3). Furthermore, the age at injury related to the magnitude of several concussion-related deficits. Accordingly, a single sports-related concussive incident during childhood (m = 2.1 years prior to testing) may lead to subtle, yet pervasive alterations in the behavioral and neural indices of attention and executive control, and age at injury may moderate injury outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of health behaviors and markers of physiological health associated with childhood cognitive function has important implications for public health policy targeted toward cognitive health throughout the life span. Although previous studies have shown that aerobic fitness and obesity exert contrasting effects on cognitive flexibility among prepubertal children, the extent to which diet plays a role in cognitive flexibility has received little attention. Accordingly, this study examined associations between saturated fats and cholesterol intake and cognitive flexibility, assessed using a task switching paradigm, among prepubertal children between 7 and 10 years (N = 150). Following adjustment of confounding variables (age, sex, socioeconomic status, IQ, VO 2max , and BMI), children consuming diets higher in saturated fats exhibited longer reaction time during the task condition requiring greater amounts of cognitive flexibility. Further, increasing saturated fat intake and dietary cholesterol were correlated with greater switch costs, reflecting impaired ability to maintain multiple task sets in working memory and poorer efficiency of cognitive control processes involved in task switching. These data are among the first to indicate that children consuming diets higher in saturated fats and cholesterol exhibit compromised ability to flexibly modulate their cognitive operations, particularly when faced with greater cognitive challenge. Future longitudinal and intervention studies are necessary to comprehensively characterize the interrelationships between diet, aerobic fitness, obesity, and children's cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are compelling reasons to address both the health and academic success of American children today. In 2012, the GENYOUth Foundation convened a Nutrition + Physical Activity Learning Connection Summit of scientists, academics, corporate executives, students, and government and nongovernment leaders to examine the research and develop practical approaches to enhance children's health and their readiness to learn. Although improving children's eating habits and physical activity levels clearly leads to multiple health benefits, the impact of nutrition and physical activity on academic success is less well known, particularly among administrators, educators, and parents. A growing body of evidence from research and school programs suggests that daily breakfast and an active school day can improve students' classroom performance and academic achievement. A bank of potential 30/90-day action steps, generated by the Learning Summit attendees, makes it clear that everyone has an important role to play in improving nutrition and physical activity in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research which was conducted to investigate the relationship between childhood aerobic fitness and successful street crossing. Researchers evaluated boys between the ages of eight and 10 years old who navigated street crossing in a virtual environment which featured a treadmill while undistracted, while listening to music or while talking on a hands-free cellular telephone. They found that in the collection of subjects who were studied, higher levels of childhood aerobic fitness appeared to attenuate the impairment which is usually associated with multitasking during street crossing.

Abstract: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain activity of higher fit and lower fit children during early and late task blocks of a cognitive control flanker paradigm. For congruent trials, all children showed increased recruitment of frontal and parietal regions during the early block when the task was unfamiliar, followed by a decrease in activity in the later block. No within-group changes in congruent accuracy were reported across task blocks, despite a decline in performance across all participants, likely due to fatigue. During incongruent trials, only higher fit children maintained accuracy across blocks, coupled with increased prefrontal and parietal recruitment in the early task block and reduced activity in the later block. Lower fit children showed a decline in incongruent accuracy across blocks, and no changes in activation. We suggest that higher fit children are better at activating and adapting neural processes involved in cognitive control to meet and maintain task goals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Because children are becoming overweight, unhealthy, and unfit, understanding the neurocognitive benefits of an active lifestyle in childhood has important public health and educational implications. Animal research has indicated that aerobic exercise is related to increased cell proliferation and survival in the hippocampus as well as enhanced hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. Recent evidence extends this relationship to elderly humans by suggesting that high aerobic fitness levels in older adults are associated with increased hippocampal volume and superior memory performance. The present study aimed to further extend the link between fitness, hippocampal volume, and memory to a sample of preadolescent children. To this end, magnetic resonance imaging was employed to investigate whether higher- and lower-fit 9- and 10-year-old children showed differences in hippocampal volume and if the differences were related to performance on an item and relational memory task. Relational but not item memory is primarily supported by the hippocampus. Consistent with predictions, higher-fit children showed greater bilateral hippocampal volumes and superior relational memory task performance compared to lower-fit children. Hippocampal volume was also positively associated with performance on the relational but not the item memory task. Furthermore, bilateral hippocampal volume was found to mediate the relationship between fitness level (VO2 max) and relational memory. No relationship between aerobic fitness, nucleus accumbens volume, and memory was reported, which strengthens the hypothesized specific effect of fitness on the hippocampus. The findings are the first to indicate that aerobic fitness may relate to the structure and function of the preadolescent human brain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature investigating the acute effects of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on executive functions (EFs) in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and perform a meta-analysis of the effects of MVPA on task components that require lower and higher EF demand in this population. The systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Six electronic databases, i.e., PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, SPORTDiscus, and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), were searched for eligible studies. Random-effects weights were used to pool the effect sizes. Publication bias was assessed by Egger's regression test and Rosenthal's fail-safe N. This study is registered on PROSPERO, number CRD42020184082. The electronic database search yielded 12 studies, which met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 375 participants. Eleven studies with data from 275 participants were included in the meta-analysis to examine the acute effects of MVPA on tasks with lower and higher EF demand. A single bout of MVPA had a small positive effect on tasks with lower (n = 10, g = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.123–0.517) and higher (n = 10, g = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.13–0.371) EF demand. No publication bias was found. A single bout of MVPA may have a general facilitative effect on cognition, indicating that acute MVPA may be a transient nonpharmacological adjunctive treatment for childhood ADHD. • Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder exhibit cognitive deficits in executive functions, which affects their daily functioning. • A single bout of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity has a general facilitative effect on cognition in these children. • The literature suggests that a single bout of 15–30 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is a feasible approach to temporarily facilitate executive functions in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]