ArticlePloS one2020
Moderate aerobic exercise, but not anticipation of exercise, improves cognitive control.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.
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.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- 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
- Agricultural or gardening physical activity may slow neurovascular aging and prevent stroke and dementia: an experimental and cross-sectional study.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Article
- Correction: Moderate aerobic exercise, but not anticipation of exercise, improves cognitive control.PloS one · 2024Article
- The effect of acute aerobic exercise on the consolidation of motor memories.Experimental brain research · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEvidence suggests a single bout of exercise can improve cognitive control. However, many studies only include assessments after exercise. It is unclear whether exercise changes as a result, or in anticipation, of exercise.
objectiveTo examine changes in cognitive control due to moderate aerobic exercise, and anticipation of such exercise.
methodsThirty-one young healthy adults (mean age 22 years; 55% women) completed three conditions (randomized order): 1) exercise (participants anticipated and completed exercise); 2) anticipation (participants anticipated exercise but completed rest); and 3) rest (participants anticipated and completed rest). Cognitive control was assessed with a modified Flanker task at three timepoints: (1) early (20 min pre-intervention, pre-reveal in anticipation session); (2) pre-intervention (after reveal); and (3) post-intervention. An accuracy-weighted response time (RTLISAS) was the primary outcome, analyzed with a linear mixed effects modeling approach.
resultsThere was an interaction between condition and time (p = 0.003) and between session and time (p = 0.015). RTLISAS was better post-exercise than post-rest and post-deception, but was similar across conditions at other timepoints. RTLISAS improved across time in session 1 and session 2, but did not improve over time in session 3. There were also main effects of condition (p = 0.024), session (p = 0.005), time (p<0.001), and congruency (p<0.001).
conclusionsCognitive control improved after moderate aerobic exercise, but not in anticipation of exercise. Improvements on a Flanker task were also observed across sessions and time, indicative of a learning effect that should be considered in study design and analyses.
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