Observational studyBMC pediatrics2019
Acute psychosocial stress and working memory performance: the potential of physical activity to modulate cognitive functions in children.
Observational study in BMC pediatrics, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adrenocortical and autonomic cross-system regulation in youth: A meta-analysis.Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2024Pooled it
- The Tridirectional Relationship among Physical Activity, Stress, and Academic Performance in University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Effect of Single Administration of Mulberry Milk on the Cognitive Function of 6-12-Year-Old Children: Results from a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study.Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2020Trial
- The effect of acute stress on executive function in children: Moderation by parasympathetic nervous system activity.Journal of experimental child psychology · 2026Article
- Optimal dose and type of physical activity for enhancing executive functions in children and adolescents: a network meta-analysis.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2026Review
- The relationship between diurnal cortisol slope and cognitive development among children maltreated as infants.Children and youth services review · 2023Article
- Changes in stress pathways as a possible mechanism of aerobic exercise training on brain health: a scoping review of existing studies.Frontiers in physiology · 2023Article
- Editorial: Physical Activity: An Optimizer of the Neurophysiological System?Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
- Ambulatory Assessment for Physical Activity Research: State of the Science, Best Practices and Future Directions.Psychology of sport and exercise · 2020Article
- The Association of Physical Activity and Stress-induced Neurocognitive Impairments in Inhibitory Control in Children.Chronic stress (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundResearch suggests that physical activity (PA) enhances cognitive performance and prevents stress-related impairments of higher order cognitive functions like working memory (WM) performance. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of PA on WM performance after acute stress exposure in preadolescent children.
methodsRegular PA was assessed for seven consecutive days during a typical school week using accelerometers in a sample of 44 preadolescent children (14 girls, M
resultsChildren exhibited prototypical response slopes in salivary cortisol and salivary α-amylase as markers of the endocrine and autonomic stress response immediately after psychosocial stress induction. A subsequent two-way ANOVA comparing high- and low-stress responders revealed a significant interaction between group affiliation and PA level on WM performance for both stress markers. Interestingly, best WM performance was demonstrated in children showing both high PA levels and high cortisol (or low α-amylase, respectively) stress responses.
conclusionsThough patterns differed for salivary cortisol and salivary α-amylase, overall findings suggest that PA buffers the negative effects of stress on cognitive performance in children.
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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.