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Problem: Depression is a widespread disorder and among the leading causes of disability worldwide. In this article, we perform an umbrella review on the association between depression and excess mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cardiovascular risk factors. We also provide an overview of mechanisms that explain these associations. Finally, we discuss clinical implications from a general perspective and discuss the potential of physical activity to favorably influence the relationship between depression and premature mortality.Methods: Meta-analyses were identified via PubMed. Only works on unipolar depression were included.Results: The association between depression and excess mortality is a robust epidemiological finding. This association can be attributed to the fact that people with depression are at increased risk for CVD and accumulate more cardiovascular risk factors. However, the causal associations are complex. While depression is associated with incident CVD, depression can also be a consequence of cardiac events. Regular physical activity and higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels mitigate the risk of premature mortality associated with depression.Discussion: More attention should be paid to the physical health of psychiatric patients. High priority should be given to the promotion of physical activity and fitness, as they are beneficial for both physical and mental health.Key Words: Fitness, Cardiovascular Disease, Physical Activity, Mortality

Markers of cardiovascular risk and cognitive performance were assessed in 347 children. In contrast with body mass index and blood pressure, only retinal microcirculation explained a unique proportion of variance in inhibitory control and information processing, when dependencies between markers of cardiovascular risk were accounted for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute exercise is suggested to elicit benefits for cool executive function, but the sensitivity of its hot components, such as risky decision making, to exercise remains unclear. However, improvements in risky decision making are relevant due to its predictive value for engagement in unhealthy behaviors in young adults in particular. We investigated the acute effects of aerobic exercise on risky decision making, its underlying neurocognitive processes (i.e., reward processing) and response inhibition. 33 female and 27 male participants (aged 24.0 ± 2.9 years) were randomly allocated to an intervention group, who performed 20 min of moderately-intense running on a treadmill, and a control group, who watched a video. Before and after these sessions, a Go/NoGo task and an Iowa Gambling task were administered. The feedback-related negativity (FRN) and P300 elicited by wins and losses during gambling were recorded with electroencephalography. We found no group differences in pre- to posttest changes in performance on the Go/NoGo task and Iowa Gambling task. However, there was a greater increase in the bias for infrequent losses in the intervention compared to the control group, accompanied by a change towards higher P300 amplitude and lower negativity of the FRN. In conclusion, an exercise session did not affect performance on cool and hot executive function tasks but altered the strategic approach in decision making. Exercise led to a better anticipation of outcomes of decisions and a higher maintenance of the feedback significance, which both contributed to a change towards choices that yield less frequent, larger losses., (© 2025 Society for Psychophysiological Research.)

Physical exercise has the potential to influence stress reactivity, but experimental data in children are lacking. The main objective of this randomized cross-over study was to investigate the effect of a moderately-intense exercise bout on children's physiological and psychological reactions to a subsequent acute psychosocial stressor. On two separate laboratory appointments, 114 children (62 female) aged between 10 and 13 years completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) and a nonstressful control task, respectively. Fifty-seven participants engaged in an exercise bout prior to the conditions and were matched (based on sex, age, and everyday moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity) to a control group, who did not engage in a physically demanding task. Stress reactivity was assessed using saliva cortisol and heart rate (calculated area under the response curve) and self-reported anxiety (post minus pre score). Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed main effects of condition, indicating higher stress reactivity in the TSST-C compared to control for cortisol, heart rate, and anxiety. There were no significant interactions of group and condition. However, a three-way interaction involving chronic stress indicated favorable cortisol reactivity patterns after acute exercise compared to the resting condition, but only for participants with higher levels of chronic stress. While results indicate no generalizable effect of acute exercise on children's physiological and psychological reactivity to acute psychosocial stress, acute exercise seems to transiently counteract chronic stress-induced hyperreactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis., (© 2025 The Author(s). European Journal of Sport Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH on behalf of European College of Sport Science.)

Working memory is a crucial component of cognitive performance, supporting well-being, mental health, and successful personal and academic endeavors. Working memory performance and capacity peak during young adulthood, a critical period for managing increased life challenges. Emerging evidence indicates that cardiorespiratory fitness holds potential to enhance working memory performance; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and neurophysiological markers of cognitive control during a task requiring working memory maintenance. Young healthy adults (N = 112) completed a submaximal ergometer test to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness. Working memory maintenance was assessed using the Sternberg task under low and high cognitive loads, while event-related potentials (ERP) components (cue-P300, CNV, and probe-P300) were recorded. In addition, an immediate free recall task was administered. Path analysis revealed that higher cardiorespiratory fitness was significantly associated with better accuracy in the Sternberg task exclusively under high cognitive load (β = 0.21, p = 0.03). In the high load condition, higher negativity of the contingent negative variation (CNV) amplitude was significantly associated with higher fitness levels (β = -0.20, p = 0.03) and with better performance on the immediate free recall task (β = -0.23, p = 0.02), suggesting enhanced neurophysiological preparatory processes and dominance of proactive cognitive control strategy in fitter individuals. Cue-P300 and probe-P300 did not show significant associations with cardiorespiratory fitness nor working memory performance. These findings underscore the role of proactive cognitive control in mediating the benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive performance., (© 2025 Society for Psychophysiological Research.)

Physical activity is a meaningful part of life, which starts before birth and lasts until death. There are many health benefits to be derived from physical activity, hence, regular engagement is recommended on a weekly basis. However, these recommendations are often not met. This raises the question: when and why are people motivated to be physically active? Attempts to explain the motivation for physical activity (or lack thereof) have been the research interest for many years and disciplines. In this review, we provide evidence suggesting that physical activity behavior and the psycho-physiological foundations thereof Physical activity is a meaningful part of life, which starts before birth and lasts until death. There are many health benefits to be derived from physical activity, hence, regular engagement is recommended on a weekly basis. However, these recommendations are often not met. This raises the question: when and why are people motivated to be physically active? Attempts to explain the motivation for physical activity (or lack thereof) have been the research interest for many years and disciplines. In this review, we provide evidence suggesting that physical activity behavior and the psycho-physiological foundations thereof are influenced by evolution, genetics, life stage, and the environment. The psycho-physiological foundations in turn comprise motivational and volitional factors as described in traditional psychological theories, psychological states and traits such as affective and stress reactions, as well as physiological states and systems (e.g. anatomical development and neural networks and transmitters). Importantly, physical activity elicits differential physiological responses and subjective experiences, which may impact future physical activity behavior and motivation. In summary, the interplay of psycho-physiological mechanisms and the importance of examining the ultimate mechanism for physical activity behavior are emphasized. The synthesis of knowledge provided in this review provides impetus for theory development and can facilitate the promotion of physically active lifestyles.

Regular physical activity (PA) is beneficial for cognitive health, and cathepsin B (CTSB) - a protease released by skeletal muscle during PA - acts as a potential molecular mediator of this association. PA-induced metabolic and mechanical stress appears to increase plasma/serum CTSB levels. CTSB facilitates neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity in brain regions (e.g., hippocampus and prefrontal cortex) that support performance in specific cognitive domains including memory, learning, and executive function. However, the evidence regarding the role of PA-induced changes in CTSB as a mediator of PA-induced cognitive health in humans is mixed. To guide future research, this article identifies key factors that may explain the observed heterogeneity in the findings from human studies and proposes a PA-CTSB-cognition model., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Acknowledging the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting, this study examined the effects of an acute exercise break during prolonged sitting on executive function, cortical hemodynamics, and microvascular status. In this randomized crossover study, 71 college students completed three conditions: (i) uninterrupted sitting (SIT); (ii) SIT with a 15 min moderate-intensity cycling break (MIC); and (iii) SIT with a 15 min vigorous-intensity cycling break (VIC). Behavioral outcomes, retinal vessel diameters (central retinal artery equivalents [CRAE], retinal vein equivalents [CRVE], arteriovenous ratio [AVR]), cortical activation, and effective connectivity were evaluated. Linear mixed models identified significant positive effects of exercise conditions on behavioral reaction time (RT), error rate, and inverse efficiency score (β = -2.62, -0.19, -3.04: ps < 0.05). MIC and VIC conditions produced pre-to-post-intervention increases in CRAE and CRVE (β = 4.46, 6.34), frontal activation, and resting-state and task-state causal density (β = 0.37, 0.06) (ps < 0.05) compared to SIT; VIC was more beneficial for executive function and neurobiological parameters. The effect of AVR on average RT was mediated through task-based causal density (indirect effect: -0.82). Acutely interrupting prolonged sitting improves executive function, microvascular status, and cortical activation and connectivity, with causal density mediating the microvascular-executive function link., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The objective of this study was to examine the validity and feasibility of four standardized aerobic fitness tests to either measure V˙ O 2 peak or to estimate V˙ O 2 max (e V˙ O 2 max) in patients with major depression disorder (MDD). To this end, all subjects (n = 43) performed one maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test with gas exchange measurement (CPET) on a bicycle ergometer. Additionally, three submaximal tests (Åstrand-Rhyming bicycle ergometer test [ART], Physical work capacity test [PWC], and 6-min walk test [6MWT]) were performed within two weeks in counterbalanced order. e V˙ O 2 max from the submaximal tests was compared to the measured V˙ O 2 peak from CPET using rANOVAs, Bland-Altman plots, and correlation analyses. Feasibility outcomes (e.g., perceived exertion, discomfort, pretest anxiety, etc.) were compared via rANOVAs. On group level, e V˙ O 2 max estimated submaximally via ART and PWC did not differ from the CPET-based V˙ O 2 peak, whereas there was a bias in the 6MWT, as differences of the means increased in participants with higher V˙ O 2 peak. During CPET, only 56% achieved a primary or secondary criterion of maximum (physiological) exertion. On the group level, V˙ O 2 peak and e V˙ O 2 max determined with the different tests showed a sufficient degree of agreement (r ≥ 0.54, ICCs≥0.66, p < 0.001), but on the individual level, marked differences occurred between CPET-based V˙ O 2 peak and e V˙ O 2 max. Three of four CRF tests (CPET, ART, PWC) proved to be feasible and could be integrated into everyday therapy and monitoring of patients with MDD as an estimate for improvement of aerobic fitness. For the exact measurement of V˙ O 2 peak, CPET remains the gold standard, also in patients with MDD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate whether a single session of aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control in preadolescent children and whether this effect is mediated by changes in parasympathetic activity., Design: In this experimental study, an intervention and control group were pair-matched by age, sex and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity., Method: 114 participants either completed a 20 min moderately-intense exercise bout on a cycling ergometer or watched a 20 min video. Prior to and after these conditions, a computer-based Stroop task was administered. During the cognitive task, heart rate variability (HRV) was measured using electrocardiography., Results: Path-analyses did not support an association between group and posttest accuracy on the Stroop task, while controlling for pretest scores. However, the intervention group had lower time-domain based HRV at posttest. The examination of mediation models revealed a moderation by sex, as the relation of lower time-domain based HRV with higher accuracy on both congruent and incongruent trials of the Stroop task was observed in girls only., Conclusion: A single aerobic exercise session does not necessarily improve inhibitory control in preadolescent children. However, the manipulation of the autonomic state towards a parasympathetic withdrawal has the potential to alter inhibitory control in girls in particular., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Meeting 24-h movement behaviors (24-HMB: physical activity [PA], screen time [ST], and sleep [SL]) recommendations may be associated with positive health outcomes among youth with specific mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental (MBD) conditions. However, temporal trends and disparities in meeting 24-HMB guidelines in these higher-risk groups have not been investigated, hampering the development of evidence-based clinical and public health interventions., Methods: Serial, cross-sectional analyses of nationally National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data (including U.S. youth aged 6-17 years with MBD conditions) were conducted. The time-trends survey data was conducted between 2016 and 2021. The prevalence of 24-HMB adherence estimates were reported for the overall sample and for various sociodemographic subgroups. The subgroups analyzed included: age group (children[aged 6 to 13 years], adolescents[aged 14 to 17 years]), sex, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity., Results: Data on 52,634 individuals (mean age, 12.0 years [SD,3.5]; 28,829 [58.0 %] boys) were analyzed. From 2016 to 2021 the estimated trend in meeting PA + ST + SL guidelines declined (-0.8 % [95%CI, -1.0 % to -0.5 %], P for trend <0.001), whereas meeting none of 24-HMB guidelines increased (2.2 % [1.8 % to 2.6 %], P for trend <0.001). White participants, children, and boys reported higher estimated prevalence of meeting full integrated (PA + ST + SL) guidelines., Discussion: The temporal trends observed in this study highlight the importance of consistently monitoring movement behavior among MBD youth and identifying variations by sociodemographic groups in meeting 24-HMB guidelines for health promotion within these vulnerable groups., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Refugees may have an increased risk of developing overweight/obesity as they often experience a nutritional transition. Because maintaining good cardiorespiratory fitness can help reduce the negative impact of excess weight on overall health, the objective of this study was to examine whether fitness moderates the relationship between weight status and cardiovascular and mental health outcomes in forcibly displaced individuals living in a Greek refugee camp., Methods: A sample of 142 forcibly displaced individuals were recruited. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with the submaximal Åstrand-Rhyming bicycle ergometer test. Blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, and hs-CRP were assessed as physical health outcomes, whereas post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety symptoms, pain, and quality of life were assessed as mental health outcomes. Main and interaction effects were tested via analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs)., Results: Almost 50% of the participants were overweight/obese, more than 60% presented with very poor fitness levels, and the percentage of participants with very poor fitness levels was particularly high among overweight/obese participants. Whereas overweight/obesity was associated with a less favorable body composition and cardiovascular risk profile, poor fitness was associated with a higher percentage of body fat and a lower percentage of muscle mass. Cardiorespiratory fitness did not moderate the relationship between overweight/obesity and most of the assessed health outcomes., Conclusions: Only limited support was found for the applicability of the fit-but-fat concept to our population of forcibly displaced individuals. Public health services should prioritize measures to prevent overweight/obesity and associated diseases in refugee camps. Moreover, efforts are needed to improve the fitness of camp residents via exercise/sport interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Gerber, Filippou, Knappe, Morres, Tzormpatzakis, Havas, Seelig, Colledge, Ludyga, Meier, Theodorakis, von Känel, Pühse and Hatzigeorgiadis.)

Team-based physical activity (PA) can improve social cognition; however, few studies have investigated the neurobiological mechanism underlying this benefit. Accordingly, a hyper-scanning protocol aimed to determine whether the interbrain synchrony (IBS) is influenced by an acute bout of team-based PA (i.e., tandem rope skipping). Specifically, we had socially avoidant participants (SOA, N=15 dyads) and their age-matched controls (CO, N=16 dyads) performed a computer-based cooperative task while EEG was recorded before and after two different experimental conditions (i.e., 30-min of team-based PA versus sitting). Phase locking value (PLV) was used to measure IBS. Results showed improved frontal gamma band IBS after the team-based PA compared to sitting when participants received successful feedback in the task (M skipping = 0.016, M sittting  = -0.009, p = 0.082, η p 2  = 0.387). The CO group showed a larger change in frontal and central gamma band IBS when provided failure feedback in the task (M skipping  = 0.017, M sittting  = -0.009, p = 0.075, η p 2  = 0.313). Thus, results suggest that socially avoidant individuals may benefit from team-based PA via improved interbrain synchrony. Moreover, our findings deepen our understanding of the neurobiological mechanism by which team-based PA may improve social cognition among individuals with or without social avoidance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In response to the global scope of forced displacement, international organizations highlight the need of scalable solutions to support individuals' health and integration into host societies. Exposure to high mental and physical stress perceived before, during, and after displacement can impair functional capabilities, essential for adapting to a new environment. This secondary analysis examined the impact of an exercise and sport intervention on cognitive function and pain severity among individuals living in a refugee camp in Greece., Methods: We implemented a randomized controlled trial involving n = 142 (52.8% women) forcibly displaced individuals from Southwest Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Participants were randomly assigned to a waitlist or a 10-week co-designed exercise and sport intervention with a 1:1 allocation rate between groups and sexes. Assessments at baseline and follow-up included the Flanker task, the Oddball paradigm, pain severity via visual analog scales, and the Åstrand-Rhyming indirect test of maximal oxygen uptake. We analyzed the intervention effects using structural equation modeling., Results: Our findings did not indicate a direct intervention effect on cognitive function or pain (p ≥ .332). However, the intervention group significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness, ß = .17, p = .010, which was associated with faster reaction times in cognitive tasks, ß =  - .22, p = .004. Moreover, there was some evidence that adherence might be linked to reduced pain severity, ß =  - .14, p = .065., Conclusions: Exercise and sport did not directly impact cognitive function and pain severity among a sociodemographically diverse sample living in a refugee camp, suggesting the need for complementary measures. Nevertheless, our results indicate that improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness benefit aspects of attention., Trial Registration: The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the University of Thessaly (no. 39) and registered prospectively on February 8, 2021 at the ISRCTN registry (no. 16291983)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show impairments in response inhibition, especially in socio-emotional contexts. A single aerobic exercise session has the potential to temporarily reduce such impairments as findings from neurotypical children support acute benefits of this exercise type for inhibitory control and emotion recognition. In children with ASD, we therefore aimed to investigate the effects of an aerobic exercise bout on response inhibition in an emotional Go/NoGo task and gaze fixation as possible mechanism underlying changes in performance. Using a cross-over design, 29 patients completed a 20-min aerobic exercise bout at moderate intensity on a cycling ergometer and a control condition in a randomized order. An emotional Go/NoGo task was administered before and after both experimental conditions. Eye-tracking was performed during the cognitive task to assess the duration of gaze fixation of eyes and mouth parts of faces expressing happy or sad emotions. The results support no beneficial effect of exercise on performance on the emotional Go/NoGo task. Instead, patients showed a greater decrease in accuracy on Go trials displaying happy faces in the exercise compared to the control condition. This change was associated with a more pronounced decrease in the fixation duration of the eyes for faces expressing either happy or sad emotions. In conclusion, while a single session of moderately intense aerobic exercise does not affect response inhibition, it temporarily aggravates ASD-specific deficits in the processing of and response to facial emotions., (© 2024 The Author(s). Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

While the dopaminergic system is important for cognitive processes, it is also sensitive to the influence of physical activity (PA). We summarize current evidence on whether PA-related changes in the human dopaminergic system are associated with alterations in cognitive performance, discuss recent advances, and highlight challenges and opportunities for future research., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: There is evidence that complex relationships exist between motor functions, brain structure, and cognitive functions, particularly in the aging population. However, whether such relationships observed in older adults could extend to other age groups (e.g., younger adults) remains to be elucidated. Thus, the current study addressed this gap in the literature by investigating potential associations between motor functions, brain structure, and cognitive functions in a large cohort of young adults., Methods: In the current study, data from 910 participants (22-35 yr) were retrieved from the Human Connectome Project. Interactions between motor functions (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, gait speed, hand dexterity, and handgrip strength), brain structure (i.e., cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes), and cognitive functions were examined using linear mixed-effects models and mediation analyses. The performance of different machine-learning classifiers to discriminate young adults at three different levels (related to each motor function) was compared., Results: Cardiorespiratory fitness and hand dexterity were positively associated with fluid and crystallized intelligence in young adults, whereas gait speed and handgrip strength were correlated with specific measures of fluid intelligence (e.g., inhibitory control, flexibility, sustained attention, and spatial orientation; false discovery rate [FDR] corrected, p < 0.05). The relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness and domains of cognitive function were mediated by surface area and cortical volume in regions involved in the default mode, sensorimotor, and limbic networks (FDR corrected, p < 0.05). Associations between handgrip strength and fluid intelligence were mediated by surface area and volume in regions involved in the salience and limbic networks (FDR corrected, p < 0.05). Four machine-learning classifiers with feature importance ranking were built to discriminate young adults with different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (random forest), gait speed, hand dexterity (support vector machine with the radial kernel), and handgrip strength (artificial neural network)., Conclusions: In summary, similar to observations in older adults, the current study provides empirical evidence (i) that motor functions in young adults are positively related to specific measures of cognitive functions, and (ii) that such relationships are at least partially mediated by distinct brain structures. Furthermore, our analyses suggest that machine-learning classifier has a promising potential to be used as a classification tool and decision support for identifying populations with below-average motor and cognitive functions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: Evidence suggests that acute exercise benefits inhibitory control, but it remains unclear how physical and cognitive load influence this ability in preadolescent children, when faced with different types of distractors. We examined their moderating effects along with changes in prefrontal cortex hemodynamics., Methods: Using a crossover design, 29 participants completed 10 min of exercise (with an interactive training wall) at 1) low physical and low cognitive load, 2) low physical and high cognitive load, 3) high physical and low cognitive load, and 4) high physical and high cognitive load in a randomized order. Before and after each condition, they performed a Standard and Affective Stroop task. During both tasks, the lateral oxygenation difference in the prefrontal cortex was measured by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy., Results: For the Standard Stroop task, there was no effect of physical and cognitive load on performance. In contrast, exercise with low compared with high cognitive load was associated with a greater reduction of reaction time and increase in accuracy on the Affective Stroop task. This was accompanied by a decrease in lateral oxygenation difference on trials with low inhibitory control demands., Conclusions: Acute exercise with low compared with high cognitive demand benefits the ability to resolve emotional conflict, but the control over inhibition of nonemotional information remains unaffected. This effect of cognitive load is complemented by an increased efficiency of the left prefrontal cortex, when no emotional conflict resolution is required., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Sports Medicine.)

Background: Cognitive-motor training in form of exergames has been found to be feasible and effective for the improvement of motor and cognitive functioning in older adults and several patient populations. Exergame training under unstable conditions might increase the proprioceptive resources needed and thus might be a superior training approach compared to exergame training on stable ground for stroke patients, who often have proprioceptive deficits., Objective: Aim of this study is to assess the feasibility and effects of exergame-based cognitive-motor training on a labile platform on physical and cognitive functioning in stroke inpatients., Methods: This is two-armed pilot randomized controlled trial taking place in an inpatient neurologic rehabilitation clinic. A total of 30 persons that are undergoing inpatient rehabilitation due to a stroke will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (IG) or the control group (CG). Participants of the IG will receive exergame-based motor-cognitive training on a labile surface, whereas participants of the CG will train on a stable surface. Primary outcome is feasibility comprising measures of adherence, attrition, safety and usability. Secondary outcomes will be measures of cognitive (psychomotor speed, inhibition, selective attention, cognitive flexibility, brain activity) and motor (functional mobility, gait speed, balance, proprioception) functioning., Results: Data collection started in February 2024 and is expected to be completed by August 2024., Conclusion: This is the first study looking into exergame training on labile surface in stroke patients. It will give valuable insights into the feasibility and potential added value of this type of training and thus inform further implementation efforts in the context of inpatient rehabilitation., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06296069., Competing Interests: The Senso-Swing prototype formally belongs to Dividat AG. Dividat AG provides the Senso-Swing free of charge for the duration of the study. Dividat AG was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article, or the decision to submit it for publication. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Büttiker, Marks, Hanke, Ludyga, Marsico, Eggimann and Giannouli.)

Background: Evaluation stress can impair inhibitory control, limiting the ability of children to perform cognitively. However, evidence on protective factors is lacking as stress-induced cognitive impairments are poorly understood. High physical activity has been related to better inhibitory control and has the potential to buffer the response to a stressor. We investigated the association of physical activity and stress-induced changes in inhibitory control as well as its underlying cognitive control processes (i.e., conflict monitoring and resolution)., Method: Participants (10 to 13 y) with either low ( N  = 55) or high moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( N  = 55) completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) and a control task in a randomized order. During both conditions, salivary cortisol was collected. Additionally, a computerized Stroop task was administered before and after the experimental conditions. The N200 and positive slow wave (PSW) components of event-related potentials elicited by the Stroop task were recorded using electroencephalography., Results: In comparison to the control task, the TSST-C elicited a pre-to post-test decrease of accuracy on incompatible trials. Path-analyses further revealed that this decrease was related to low physical activity and a reduced PSW amplitude. However, both the N200 and PSW amplitudes did not mediate the relation between physical activity groups and performance on the Stroop task., Conclusion: In children, evaluation stress decreases inhibitory control partly due to a reduced effectiveness of conflict resolution processes. Only children with high physical activity maintain inhibitory control after facing the stressor. However, this protective effect cannot be attributed to changes in conflict monitoring and resolution., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: The metabolic syndrome epidemic, including in forcibly displaced individuals, requires cost-effective prevention and treatment strategies. Yet, the health needs of forcibly displaced individuals often remain underserved. Our study evaluated the effect of a co-designed exercise and sport intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic syndrome components among individuals in a refugee camp in Greece and examined the indirect effect through cardiorespiratory fitness on metabolic syndrome components., Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial involving an intervention and a wait-list control group with n = 142 (52.8 % women) forcibly displaced Southwest Asians and Sub-Saharan Africans. The intervention group participated for 10 weeks in exercise and sport activities. Outcomes were cardiorespiratory fitness and single metabolic syndrome components. Effects were analyzed with structural equation modeling., Results: In total, 62.7 % of participants presented with low cardiorespiratory fitness levels (<40th percentile), and 24.6 % met the criteria for metabolic syndrome. In the intervention group, 73.5 % attended the exercise and sport sessions at least once a week. There was evidence for a direct intervention effect on cardiorespiratory fitness, ß direct = 0.12, p = 0.022, but not for any of the metabolic syndrome components ( p ≥ 0.192). Cardiorespiratory fitness significantly facilitated the intervention's indirect effect on abdominal obesity, ß indirect = -0.03, p = 0.012, high diastolic blood pressure, ß indirect = -0.04, p = 0.011, and elevated triglycerides, ß indirect = -0.03, p = 0.025., Conclusion: Implementing exercise and sport activities in a refugee camp in Greece effectively reaches a wider target population and improves cardiorespiratory fitness among forcibly displaced individuals. The intervention contributes to a decrease in abdominal obesity, high diastolic blood pressure and elevated triglycerides indirectly via improved cardiorespiratory fitness., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is an increasingly common psychiatric illness associated with a high risk of insufficient physical activity, which in turn is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes. Theory-based, individually tailored, in-person and remote physical activity counseling has the potential to increase physical activity levels in various populations. Given this, the present study investigated the effect of such a physical activity intervention on the physical activity behavior of in-patients with MDD. This was a multi-center, two-arm randomized controlled trial including initially insufficiently physically active adult in-patients with MDD from four study sites in Switzerland. The sample consisted of 220 participants (M age  = 41 ± 12.6 years, 52% women), 113 of whom were randomized to the intervention group and 107 to the control group. The main outcome, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), was assessed at three time points via hip-worn accelerometer. According to accelerometer measures, there was no significant difference in minutes spent in MVPA over a 12-month intervention period when comparing the intervention with the control group (β = -1.02, 95% CI = -10.68 to 8.64). Higher baseline physical activity significantly predicted physical activity at post and follow-up. This study showed that it is feasible to deliver an individually tailored, theory-based physical activity counseling intervention to in-patients with MDD, however yielding no significant effects on accelerometer-based MVPA levels. Further efforts are warranted to identify efficacious approaches.Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN10469580, registered on 3rd September 2018, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN10469580 ., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: This study aimed to investigate associations of meeting 24-h movement behavior (24-HMB: physical activity [PA], screen time [ST] in the school-aged youth, and sleep) guidelines with indicators of academic engagement, psychological functioning, and cognitive function in a national representative sample of U.S. youth., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1794 participants aged 6 to 17 years old were included for multivariable logistic regression to determine the above-mentioned associations, while adjusting for sociodemographic and health covariates., Results: The proportion of participants who met 24-HMB guideline(s) varied greatly (PA+ ST+ sleep = 34 [weighted 1.17 %], PA + ST = 23 [weighted 1.72 %], PA + sleep = 52 [weighted 2.15 %], PA = 34 [weighted 2.88 %], ST = 142 [weighted 7.5 %], ST+ sleep = 209 [weighted 11.86 %], sleep = 725 [weighted 35.5 %], none = 575 [weighted 37.22 %]). Participants who met ST guideline alone and integrated (ST + Sleep and ST + sleep + PA) guidelines demonstrated the consistently beneficial associations with learning interest/curiosity, caring for school performance, completing required homework, resilience, cognitive difficulties, self-regulation (ps < 0.05)., Conclusion: Meeting 24-HMB guidelines in an isolated or integrative manner was associated with improved academic engagement, psychological functioning, and reduced cognitive difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of the promotion of 24-HMB guidelines in youth with internalizing problems. Future longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether changes or modifications of meeting specific 24-HMB guidelines (especially ST) is beneficial for youth with internalizing problems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Preadolescent children undergo developmental changes in inhibitory control. Maintenance of high levels of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) has been suggested to promote its maturation. We compared inhibitory control between children with low and high MVPA as well as their inhibitory processing stream and changes in cortical hemodynamics., Method: 109 participants aged 10 to 13 years wore accelerometers over 7 days. Those with MVPA levels of 30 min/d or less and 60 min/d or more further performed a computerized Stroop Color-Word task. Electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy were used to record changes in inhibitory processing and cortical hemodynamics, respectively., Results: An interaction of MVPA group and sex indicated better interference in highly-active boys, but the opposite pattern in girls. Independent from sex, the high compared to low MVPA group showed greater P300 and PSW amplitudes, whereas no group differences were found for N200, N450, and changes in cortical hemodynamics., Conclusion: Children with high MVPA differ from their less-active peers by a distinct inhibitory processing profile, which is characterized by altered allocation of attentional resources and conflict resolution. However, these alterations do not necessarily translate into better performance, especially since MVPA is linked with higher inhibitory control in boys only., Competing Interests: There is no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Emerging evidence points towards the psychological benefits of meeting 24-hour movement behavior (24-HMB) guidelines, but such associations have not yet been investigated among children and adolescents of prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses. To this end, we examined associations of meeting 24-HMB guidelines with internalizing and externalizing challenges in this population., Methods: We used data from the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health, a cross-sectional survey including a representative sample of US children and adolescents. Data on movement behaviors (physical activity [PA], sedentary behavior operationalized via screen time [ST], and sleep duration [SL]) and internalizing and externalizing problems were collected through caregiver proxy reports. Caregivers completed questionnaires for 6030 (2799 girls) US children and adolescents of prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the above-presented associations., Results: Only 7.1 % of those prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses met all three 24-HMB guidelines, while they were more likely to meet SL guideline alone (32.1 %) in relation to other independent guidelines including PA (2.5 %) and ST (10.9 %). Compared to not meeting any of the three 24-HMB guidelines, meeting at least two guidelines (25.22 %) was significantly linked to lower odds of internalizing problems and externalizing problems., Conclusion: Meeting at least two components of the 24-HMB guidelines was beneficially linked to internalizing and externalizing problems. Thus, strategies or intervention programs that focus on meeting 24-HMB guidelines should be implemented among children and adolescents of those prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses to foster coping with psychological issues., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Verbal short-term and long-term memory are crucial neuropsychological functions involved in core cognitive abilities. They constitute vital components of subjective well-being and academic achievement. To date, there is limited research on the association between regular physical activity and memory abilities during young adulthood. The Individual Alpha Peak Frequency (IAPF) contributes to various cognitive abilities and also appears to be sensitive to physical activity. Consequently, the IAPF has the potential to underlie the association between physical activity and verbal memory. We examined the direct relation of physical activity and verbal memory, and the potential indirect relation via IAPF in young adults. Regular physical activity was assessed via accelerometry on seven consecutive days in 115 participants (N=115, 48% female) aged 18-35 years (M=24.1, SD=3.8). In addition, verbal memory performance was assessed using an immediate and delayed free-recall task. Brain activity during rest was recorded with EEG, and IAPF was extracted for mediation analyses. Path analysis revealed pronounced sex differences in the association between physical activity, IAPF, and verbal memory performance. Exclusively in female participants, higher vigorous physical activity levels were associated with better recall performance. In contrast, no association of physical activity and memory was found in male participants. However, being more physically active was related to a higher IAPF exclusively in male participants. Physical activity shows differential associations between IAPF and verbal memory in male and female participants. However, the lack of a mediating role of IAPF suggests that this neurophysiological marker cannot explain these specific associations in young adults., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Muscular strength represents a specific component of health-related fitness. Hand grip strength is used as a simple and dynamic marker of maximum voluntary force of the hand and to estimate overall strength. Today, little is known about the relationship between grip strength and health in forcibly displaced populations. In the present study, we examined whether grip strength is associated with various health outcomes in a sample of forcibly displaced people living in a Greek refugee camp. The present analyses are part of a larger pragmatic randomized controlled trial. In this paper, cross-sectional baseline data of 143 participants (71 men, 72 women) will be presented. In addition to grip strength, the following physical and mental health outcomes were assessed: body weight and body composition, blood pressure, total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose levels (HbA1c), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive and anxiety symptoms, pain, and quality of life. Linear regression analyses were carried out to examine how grip strength is associated with the health outcomes, separately for absolute and normalized grip strength scores. Grip strength was positively and strongly associated with percentage muscle mass (normalized grip strength: Stand. B = 0.58, p < .001), whereas a negative association existed for percentage body fat (normalized grip strength: Stand. B = - 0.58, p < .001). No statistically significant associations occurred between grip strength and the other cardiovascular risk markers. In contrast, we found that participants with higher normalized grip strength reported higher levels of PTSD (normalized grip strength: Stand. B = 0.36, p < .05) and depressive symptoms (normalized grip strength: Stand. B = 0.29, p < .05). No significant association occurred between grip strength, anxiety, pain and quality of life. Measuring grip strength in forcibly displaced people can be a useful way to assess their overall muscle strength. Grip strength tests are easy to implement, and results can be used to assess the effects of specific intervention measures. Nevertheless, our results question the usefulness of grip strength as a marker of cardiovascular health and mental wellbeing in a refugee camp setting., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Exercise training recommendations for seniors include the targeted training of strength, balance, endurance and flexibility domains. Agility training (AT) is conceptualized as a multi-component and time-efficient training framework for older adults to improve physical, functional and cognitive health domains that are relevant for maintaining activities of daily living. The aim of this one-year trial was to comparatively evaluate the effects of agility training on physical and cognitive function., Methods: Seventy-nine healthy older adults (AT: 61.5% female, 70.8 ± 4.8 years, 27.7 ± 4.2 kg/m 2 ; CG: 60.5% female, 69.6 ± 4.7 years, 27.5 ± 4.4 kg/m 2 ) took part in this one-year randomized controlled intervention and were either assigned to the agility training group (AT) with two weekly 60 min AT sessions or to the control group (CG), receiving no treatment. Participants were assessed pre, intermediate and post intervention for strength and power, balance, gait speed under multi-task conditions, aerobic capacity as well as cognitive performance. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyze the effect of treatment over time., Results: Fifty-four participants (AG: 25, CG: 29) were analyzed, most drop-outs attributed to COVID-19 (17/30 dropouts). Adherence was good (75%) of 90 offered sessions. Notable effects in favor of AT were found for gait parameters in single (d = 0.355, Δ = 4.3%), dual (d = 0.375, Δ = 6.1%) and triple (d = 0.376, Δ = 6.4%) task conditions, counter movement jump performance (strength and power) (d = 0.203, Δ = 6.9%), static one leg balance (d = 0.256, Δ = 12.33%) and n-back reaction time (cognitive performance) (d = 0.204, Δ = 3.8%). No effects were found for the remaining outcomes (d < 0.175)., Conclusion: AT might serve as an integrative training approach for older adults particularly improving gait and lower limb power parameters. It seems suitable to improve a broad range of seniors' health domains and should replace isolated training of these domains. However, individual variation and progression of exercises should be considered when programming agility training providing adequate challenges throughout a long-term intervention for all participants., Trial Registration: DRKS, DRKS00017469 . Registered 19 June 2019-Retrospectively registered., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

It is well-documented in the literature that high levels of regular physical activity (PA), low levels of sedentary behavior (SB), and high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are associated with superior cognitive functioning, especially with regard to older populations. However, concerning other age groups (e.g., preschoolers) the available evidence documenting such a positive relationship is relatively scarce. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association of time spent in different PA intensity zones and CRF with executive functions (EFs) in preschool-age children. To this end, preschoolers ( n  = 127) aged 3 to 6 years were recruited from 9 kindergarten classes in 2 districts of Shenzhen, China. The amount and the intensity of PA were assessed via accelerometry, and the CRF level was quantified by the 20-meter shuttle run test. EFs including inhibitory control and working memory were assessed using the one-on-one iPad-based Early Year Toolbox. Results suggested that children who had a higher CRF level ("impulse control" scores: β = 0.34, p < .001; "Go" accuracy: β = 0.31, p < .001; "No-Go" accuracy: β =0.28, < .001) and spentmore time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) ("impulse control" scores: β = 0.50, p < .001; No-Go" accuracy: β = 0.52, p < .001) had higher scores on inhibitory control tasks, and those who had a higher CRF level had higher scores on a working memory task (β = 0.24, p < .05). The findings are discussed in light of the positive roles of MVPA and CRF for promoting EFs, but also consider the disproportionate association of PA and CRF with working memory relative to inhibition., Competing Interests: The authors whose names are listed certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Objectives: High reactivity to psychosocial stress during childhood increases the risk of future psychological and physiological disorders. The main objective of this study was to investigate associations between children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and physiological and psychological reactions to acute psychosocial stress., Design: Randomized cross-over study comparing two groups., Methods: After a 7-day accelerometer-based measurement of MVPA, 110 children aged 10-13 years (48 female) were categorized into a low (<30 min/d) or a high MVPA group (>60 min/d). On separate laboratory appointments, participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) and a non-stressful control task in randomized order. Stress reactivity was assessed from saliva cortisol, heart rate variability and self-reported anxiety., Results: In repeated measures analyses of variance, main effects of condition indicated higher stress reactivity in the TSST-C compared to control for cortisol and anxiety, with more pronounced effects in girls compared to boys. Differences in heart rate variability disappeared after controlling for confounding variables. No interactions with MVPA were found. A main effect of MVPA indicated generally lower cortisol reactivity in the high compared to the low MVPA group., Conclusions: The TSST-C is suitable for induction of psychosocial stress in the laboratory, but sex-specific differences have to be considered. Children who met the WHO recommendations for MVPA exhibited generally lower endocrine reactivity to both laboratory tasks combined, underlining the potential role of regular physical activity in the regulation of the stress response in early developmental stages. Further studies are necessary to ascertain causal associations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interest Statement None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is a growing interest to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that drive the positive associations of physical activity and fitness with measures of cognitive performance. To better understand those mechanisms, several studies have employed eye-based measures (e.g., eye movement measures such as saccades, pupillary measures such as pupil dilation, and vascular measures such as retinal vessel diameter) deemed to be proxies for specific neurobiological mechanisms. However, there is currently no systematic review providing a comprehensive overview of these studies in the field of exercise-cognition science. Thus, this review aimed to address that gap in the literature., Methods: To identify eligible studies, we searched 5 electronic databases on October 23, 2022. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using a modified version of the Tool for the assEssment of Study qualiTy and reporting in EXercise (TESTEX scale, for interventional studies) and the critical appraisal tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute (for cross-sectional studies)., Results: Our systematic review (n = 35 studies) offers the following main findings: (a) there is insufficient evidence available to draw solid conclusions concerning gaze-fixation-based measures; (b) the evidence that pupillometric measures, which are a proxy for the noradrenergic system, can explain the positive effect of acute exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive performance is mixed; (c) physical training- or fitness-related changes of the cerebrovascular system (operationalized via changes in retinal vasculature) are, in general, positively associated with cognitive performance improvements; (d) acute and chronic physical exercises show a positive effect based on an oculomotor-based measure of executive function (operationalized via antisaccade tasks); and (e) the positive association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive performance is partly mediated by the dopaminergic system (operationalized via spontaneous eye-blink rate)., Conclusion: This systematic review offers confirmation that eye-based measures can provide valuable insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that may drive positive associations between physical activity and fitness and measures of cognitive performance. However, due to the limited number of studies utilizing specific methods for obtaining eye-based measures (e.g., pupillometry, retinal vessel analysis, spontaneous eye blink rate) or investigating a possible dose-response relationship, further research is necessary before more nuanced conclusions can be drawn. Given that eye-based measures are economical and non-invasive, we hope this review will foster the future application of eye-based measures in the field of exercise-cognition science., (Copyright © 2023. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Difficulties in face recognition contribute to social-cognitive problems in autistic children. Evidence on behavioral interventions targeting this cognitive domain is limited. In non-autistic individuals, a single exercise session is known to elicit temporary benefits for several cognitive functions. Our study investigates whether acute aerobic exercise influences face recognition in autistic children. In a randomized order, 29 participants completed a 20-min moderately-intense cycling bout on an ergometer and a control condition. Before and after each condition, participants categorized Mooney faces and instruments during a computerized cognitive task. Simultaneously, the N170 component of event-related potentials and pupil size were recorded using electroencephalography and eyetracking, respectively. As indicated by a greater increase of reaction time in the exercise compared to the control condition, the results revealed impaired face recognition following aerobic exercise. This effect was accompanied by a lower decrease of the positive N170 amplitude and a trend towards a greater constriction of the pupil size in the exercise compared to the control condition. Our findings highlight the interplay of the physiological state and face recognition in autistic children. Exercise-induced impairments in this social-cognitive ability may be due to an interference with the learning effect that is typically seen for the structural encoding of faces., (© 2023 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In young and middle-aged adults, executive function is associated with success in work-life and mental health. Physical activity with and without cognitive training has the potential to benefit executive function, but its relative effectiveness remains unclear. This network meta-analysis compares the effectiveness of different exercise and cognitive training types and their combination on executive function in young and middle-aged adults. PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus were searched for experimental studies that compared pre- to posttest changes in inhibitory control and/ or working memory between one or more intervention groups and a control group. Interventions were ranked on their relative effectiveness using P-scores. Study quality was rated using the PEDro scale. Forty-six studies were included and yielded 30 and 70 pair-wise effect sizes for the inhibitory control and working memory networks, respectively. With one exception, all studies were of high quality. Combined exercise and working memory training induced the greatest benefits for working memory (standardized mean differences, SMD = 0.59), whereas training a single executive function (SMD = 0.32) was most effective for inhibitory control. The effectiveness of working memory training (SMD ≥ 0.27) and coordinative exercise (SMD ≥ 0.20-0.29) ranked second and third for both executive function outcomes. In contrast, the effectiveness of endurance exercise was comparable to active controls on both networks. In young and middle-aged adults, exercise with coordinative demands seems to have an effectiveness similar to working memory training. The combination of exercise and cognitive training further increases executive function benefits. Highlights Despite a developmental peak of executive function in young adulthood, this cognitive domain can be trained by exercise and cognitive trainingExercise with coordinative demands and working memory training benefit inhibitory control and working memory to a similar extentThe combination of exercise and working memory training elicited even greater benefits for working memoryYoung and middle-aged adults cannot expect executive function benefits following endurance exercise.

Introduction: Compared to the general population, individuals with depression have an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, little is known so far whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) moderates this relationship. Therefore, we examined whether common physiological cardiovascular risk factors differ between patients with depression and healthy (non-depressed) controls, whether patients and controls differ in CRF, and whether higher CRF is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk in both patients and healthy controls. Additionally, we examined whether within the patient sample, cardiovascular risk factors differ between patients with mild, moderate and severe depression, and whether the relationship between symptom severity and cardiovascular risk is moderated by patients' CRF levels., Methods: Data from a multi-centric, two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was analyzed, including 210 patients (F32, single episode: n  = 72, F33, recurrent major depression: n  = 135, F31-II, bipolar type II: n  = 3) and 125 healthy controls. Waist circumference, body mass index, body fat, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and blood glucose were considered as cardiovascular risk markers. CRF was assessed with a submaximal ergometer test. Differences between groups were examined via χ 2 -tests and (multivariate) analyses of covariance., Results: Compared to healthy controls, patients with depression had a higher cardiovascular risk as evident from about half of the examined indicators. In the total sample, participants with good CRF had more favourable scores across nearly all risk markers than counterparts with poor CRF. For most variables, no interaction occurred between group and fitness, indicating that in patients and controls, similar differences existed between participants with poor and good CRF. Few differences in risk markers were found between patients with mild, moderate and severe depression, and no interaction occurred between depression severity and CRF., Discussion: Patients with depression and healthy controls differ in several cardiovascular risk markers, putting patients at increased risk for CVDs. In contrast, people with good CRF show more favourable cardiovascular risk scores, a relationship which was observed in both healthy controls and patients with depression. Physical health of psychiatric patients should receive the clinical attention that it deserves. Lifestyle interventions targeting healthy diet and/or physical activity are recommended as a physically active and healthy lifestyle contributes equally to patients' mental well-being and cardiovascular health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Gerber, Cody, Beck, Brand, Donath, Eckert, Hatzinger, Imboden, Kreppke, Lang, Ludyga, Mans, Mikoteit, Oswald, Schweinfurth-Keck, Zahner and Faude.)

Background: Forcibly displaced people face various challenges and are therefore at higher risk of being affected by mental and physiological distress. The present study aimed to determine levels of psychological well-being, PTSD symptom severity, metabolic syndrome, and associated factors among forcibly displaced people in Greece in response to WHO's call for evidence-based public health policies and programs for forcibly displaced people., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among n  = 150 (50% women) forcibly displaced people originating from Sub-Sahara Africa and Southwest Asia living in a Greek refugee camp. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess psychological well-being, symptoms of PTSD, depression, generalized anxiety disorder and insomnia, perceived stress, headache, and perceived fitness. Cardiovascular risk markers were assessed to determine metabolic syndrome, and cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with the Åstrand-Rhyming Test of Maximal Oxygen Uptake., Results: The prevalence of mental distress and physiological disorders was overall elevated. Only 53.0% of participants rated their psychological well-being as high. Altogether, 35.3% scored above the clinical cut-off for PTSD, 33.3% for depression, 27.9% for generalized anxiety disorder, and 33.8% for insomnia. One in four (28.8%) participants met criteria for metabolic syndrome. While the prevalence of moderate or severe insomnia symptoms and metabolic syndrome differed little from the global population, the risk of being affected by mental distress was markedly increased. In multivariable analysis, higher perceived fitness was associated with higher psychological well-being (OR = 1.35, p  = 0.003) and a decreased likelihood for metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.80, p  = 0.031). Participants with elevated psychiatric symptoms were less likely to report high psychological well-being (OR = 0.22, p  = 0.003) and had increased odds for higher PTSD severity (OR = 3.27, p  = 0.034). Increased stress perception was associated with higher PTSD symptoms (OR = 1.13, p  = 0.002)., Conclusion: There is an elevated risk for mental distress compared to the global population and an overall high mental and physiological burden among people living in a Greek refugee camp. The findings underpin the call for urgent action. Policies should aim to reduce post-migration stressors and address mental health and non-communicable diseases by various programs. Sport and exercise interventions may be a favorable add-on, given that perceived fitness is associated with both mental and physiological health benefits., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Knappe, Filippou, Hatzigeorgiadis, Morres, Tzormpatzakis, Havas, Seelig, Colledge, Ludyga, Meier, de Quervain, Theodorakis, von Känel, Pühse and Gerber.)

Background: Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are characterized by neurocognitive impairments and show deficits in various cognitive performance indicators, including executive function. We examined whether sustained attention and inhibitory control differ between patients with MDD and healthy controls, and whether differences exist between patients with mild, moderate, and severe depression., Methods: Clinical in-patients ( N = 212) aged 18-65 years with a current diagnosis of MDD and 128 healthy controls were recruited. Depression severity was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, and sustained attention and inhibitory control were assessed using the oddball and flanker tasks. The use of these tasks promises insights into executive function in depressive patients that are not biased by verbal skills. Group differences were tested via analyses of covariance., Results: Patients with MDD showed slower reaction times in both the oddball and flanker task, independent of the executive demands of the trial types. Younger participants achieved shorter reaction times in both inhibitory control tasks. After correcting for age, education, smoking, BMI, and nationality, only differences in reaction times in the oddball task were statistically significant. In contrast, reaction times were not sensitive to the symptom severity of depression., Conclusion: Our results corroborate deficits in basic information processing and specific impairments in higher-order cognitive processes in MDD patients. As difficulties in executive function underlie problems in planning, initiating, and completing goal-directed activities, they may jeopardize in-patient treatment and contribute to the recurrent nature of depression.

Young adulthood is a demanding development phase rendering individuals at risk for high levels of stress. While chronic stress may impair working memory maintenance, cardiorespiratory fitness is suggested to have a protective effect. Heart rate variability (HRV) contributes to this cognitive domain, but also retaliates to stress and aerobic exercise. Therefore, the present study investigated the mediating role of resting HRV on the association between chronic stress, cardiorespiratory fitness, and working memory maintenance in young healthy adults. Healthy participants (N = 115, 48% female) aged 18-35 years (M = 24.1, SD = 3.8) completed the Åstrand test on a bicycle ergometer to estimate maximal oxygen consumption [ V ̇ O 2 max (ml/min/kg)]. In addition, working memory maintenance was assessed using the modified Sternberg task with low (three items) and high cognitive load (six items). Using electrocardiography, HRV was recorded and the LF/HF ratio was extracted for mediation analyses. Path analysis revealed that cardiorespiratory fitness was significantly associated with accuracy on high cognitive load trials (β = 0.19, p = 0.035), but not on trials with low cognitive load. Perceived levels of chronic stress failed to show a significant association with working memory maintenance, independently of cognitive load. The pattern of results remained unchanged after introduction of HRV as a mediator (β = 0.18, p = 0.045). In conclusion, higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with better maintenance of verbal information in working memory. However, this association cannot be explained by vagal influences on memory processing driven by the autonomic nervous system., (© 2023 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Appropriate availability of macro- and micronutrients has an important impact on cognitive performance, mood and mental health. Although the critical role of nutrition for elite athletes' performance was recognized early on, little is known about whether consumption of specific macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fat) predict the development of future depressive symptoms in adolescent elite athletes., Methods: Participants were recruited from three Swiss Olympic Partner Schools (SOPS) in the Northwestern German speaking part of Switzerland. A total of 97 adolescent elite athletes (38% girls, M age  = 16.35 ± 1.19) participated in the study. Depressive symptoms (PHQ9) were assessed at baseline and after 10 months follow-up. A 3-day food recall was completed three months after the baseline assessment. Linear regression analyses were used to examine whether macronutrients predict depression symptom severity after controlling for covariates and baseline depressive symptoms., Results: Higher protein consumption in athletes was a prospective predictor of lower depressive symptom severity at follow-up (β = -35, p < .05). Several deviations from recommended nutritional standards were observed in elite athletes., Conclusions: The findings of this exploratory study support the notion that dietary behaviour may be prospectively associated with athletes' mental health. However, more research is required with larger samples and more in-depth assessment techniques. Future research should also examine whether nutrition education and dietary modification can be used to prevent depressive symptoms among adolescent elite athletes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Given their role as an Editorial Board Member, Gerber M. had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and had no access to information regarding its peer-review. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Very preterm birth and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with impairments in response inhibition that often persist beyond childhood. Athletes skilled in martial arts show a neurocognitive profile that is associated with an improved inhibition processing stream, suggesting that engagement in this kind of sport has the potential to reduce impairments in this cognitive function. We investigated the behavioral and neurocognitive effects of judo training on response inhibition in children born very preterm and children with ADHD by a combined analysis of two randomized controlled trials., Methods: In both the CHIPMANC ( n = 65) and JETPAC ( n = 63) studies, participants were randomly allocated to a waitlist or a 12-wk judo training program in a 1:1 ratio. At pretest and posttest, participants completed a Go/NoGo task, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 and a physical work capacity test on a bicycle ergometer. During the cognitive task, event-related potentials (N2, P3a, P3b) were recorded via electroencephalography., Results: The effects of the judo training were moderated by the study group. In contrast to children with ADHD (JETPAC), judo training reduced the commission error rate on the Go/NoGo task and increased the P3a amplitude in children born very preterm (CHIPMANC). No treatment effects were found for N2, P3b and physical fitness outcomes., Conclusions: The neurodevelopmental condition influences the cognitive benefits of judo training. Whereas judo may be ineffective in children with ADHD, children born very preterm can expect improved response inhibition due to a more effective engagement of focal attention to resolve the task-related response conflict., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Sports Medicine.)

Background: Evidence-based 24-h movement behavior (24-HMB) guidelines have been developed to integrate recommendations for the time spent on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep. For children and adolescents, these 24-HMB guidelines recommend a maximum of two hours of recreational screen time (as part of sedentary behavior), a minimum of 60 min per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and an age-appropriate sleep duration (9-11 h for 5 to 13-year-olds; 8-10 h for 14 to 17-year-olds). Although adherence to the guidelines has been associated with positive health outcomes, the effects of adhering to the 24-HMB recommendations have not been fully examined in children and adolescents with attention eficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Therefore, this study examined potential associations between meeting the 24-HMB guidelines and indicators of cognitive and social difficulties in children and adolescents with ADHD., Methods: Cross-sectional data on 3470 children and adolescents with ADHD aged between 6 and 17 years was extracted from the National Survey for Children's Health (NSCH 2020). Adherence to 24-HMB guidelines comprised screen time, physical activity, and sleep. ADHD-related outcomes included four indicators; one relating to cognitive difficulties (i.e., serious difficulties in concentrating, remembering, or making decisions) and three indicators of social difficulties (i.e., difficulties in making or keeping friends, bullying others, being bullied). Logistic regression was performed to determine the associations between adherence to 24-HMB guidelines and the cognitive and social outcomes described above, while adjusting for confounders., Results: In total, 44.8% of participants met at least one movement behavior guideline, while only 5.7% met all three. Adjusted logistic regressions further showed that meeting all three guidelines was associated with lower odds of cognitive difficulties in relation to none of the guidelines, but the strongest model included only screen time and physical activity as predictors (OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.12-0.53, p < .001). For social relationships, meeting all three guidelines was associated with lower odds of difficulty keeping friends (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.21-0.97, p = .04) in relation to none of the guidelines. Meeting the guideline for screen time was associated with lower odds of being bullied (OR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.39-0.97, p = .04) in relation to none of the guidelines. While screen time only, sleep only and the combination of both were associated with lower odds of bullying others, sleep alone was the strongest predictor (OR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.26-0.76, p = .003) in relation to none of the guidelines., Conclusion: Meeting 24-HMB guidelines was associated with reduced likelihood of cognitive and social difficulties in children and adolescents with ADHD. These findings highlight the importance of adhering to healthy lifestyle behaviors as outlined in the 24-HMB recommendations with regard to cognitive and social difficulties in children and adolescents with ADHD. These results need to be confirmed by longitudinal and interventional studies with a large sample size., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on life satisfaction in adolescents. Despite these benefits, physical activity levels constantly drop during adolescence, suggesting potential interfering factors in this link. Since worries about physical appearance are an important issue at this age, this study aims to examine the relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction in adolescents and explores possible moderating effects of social physique anxiety and sex., Methods: We used data from a longitudinal study with N = 864 vocational students (mean age = 17.87 years, range: 16-25, 43% female) from Switzerland. To test our hypotheses, we used multiple hierarchical regression analyses as well as simple slope analyses., Results: We did not find a significant direct effect of physical activity on life satisfaction. However, we found a significant two-way interaction between physical activity and social physique anxiety. An additional significant three-way interaction occurred, indicating that a positive effect of physical activity on life satisfaction holds only for female adolescents with low social physique anxiety levels., Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of developing a healthy relationship with one's body to fully benefit from physical activity, especially for female adolescents. Taken together, these results reveal important considerations for physical activity educators.