Trial reportNeurology2019
Effect of aerobic exercise on cognition in younger adults: A randomized clinical trial.
Trial report in Neurology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to trial NCT01179958 (Cognitive Benefits of Aerobic Exercise Across the Age Span), which is not on this map. Cited by 99 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Cognitive Benefits of Aerobic Exercise Across the Age Span
Who cites it
99 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- The effect of pre-operative exercise training on post-operative cognitive function: a systematic review.European geriatric medicine · 2024Pooled it
- The effects of physical exercise on anxiety symptoms of college students: A meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of whole-body vibration training on cognitive function: A systematic review.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of multicomponent exercise in cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC geriatrics · 2022Pooled it
- Apolipoprotein E Genotype Moderation of the Association Between Physical Activity and Brain Health. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2021Pooled it
- Systematic review and meta-analysis investigating moderators of long-term effects of exercise on cognition in healthy individuals.Nature human behaviour · 2020Pooled it
- Cognitive Gains of Aerobic Exercise in Patients With Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2020Pooled it
- Exercise-induced brain changes in cannabis use disorder: a longitudinal MRI study of a 12-week supervised HIIT program.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Trial
- The Effect of 6 weeks Physical Activity on Cognitive Control and Trait Impulsivity in Multi-problem Young Adults: First Findings of an RCT-study.International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology · 2026Trial
- A 20-week, randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of the Aging Well through Interaction and Scientific Education - Action Plan (AgeWISE-AP) program in older Veterans.BMC geriatrics · 2025Trial
- The effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive function in individuals with stroke-induced mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled pilot study.Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2024Trial
- Immediate and short-term effects of single-task and motor-cognitive dual-task on executive function.PloS one · 2023Trial
- Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cerebrovascular reactivity to a breath-hold stimulus in older adults: influence of aerobic exercise training.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2022Trial
- The Effects of a 12-Month Weight Loss Intervention on Cognitive Outcomes in Adults with Overweight and Obesity.Nutrients · 2020Trial
- Longer Term Effects of Diet and Exercise on Neurocognition: 1-Year Follow-up of the ENLIGHTEN Trial.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2020Trial
- Voluntary Exercise and Hippocampal Memory Enhancement: Decoding the Molecular Blueprint.Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN · 2026Review
- Physical activity and the aging brain: A narrative review.Journal of health psychology · 2026Review
- Molecular mechanisms of exercise-induced improvements in Alzheimer's disease: a focus on lipid homeostasis.Translational neurodegeneration · 2026Review
- Cognitive impairment caused by compromised hepatic ketogenesis is prevented by endurance exercise.The Journal of physiology · 2026Article
39 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo determine efficacy of aerobic exercise for cognitive function in younger healthy adults.
methodsIn a randomized, parallel-group, observer-masked, community-based clinical trial, 132 cognitively normal individuals aged 20-67 with below median aerobic capacity were randomly assigned to one of two 6-month, 4-times-weekly conditions: aerobic exercise and stretching/toning. Efficacy measures included aerobic capacity; cognitive function in several domains (executive function, episodic memory, processing speed, language, and attention), everyday function, body mass index (BMI), and cortical thickness.
resultsAerobic capacity increased significantly (β = 2.718;
conclusionsThis randomized clinical trial demonstrates the efficacy of aerobic exercise for cognition in adults age 20-67. The effect of aerobic exercise on executive function was more pronounced as age increased, suggesting that it may mitigate age-related declines. Increased cortical thickness suggests that aerobic exercise contributes to brain health in individuals as young as age 20. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: NCT01179958. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that for adults age 20-67 with below median aerobic capacity, aerobic exercise significantly improves executive function but not other measures of cognitive function.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.