SynthesisPloS one2023
Meta-analysis on the effects of moderate-intensity exercise intervention on executive functioning in children.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Intervention effects of long-term exercise on executive function in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a three-level meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Journal of global health · 2026Pooled it
- What type of exercise prescription is best for improving cognitive flexibility in children and adolescents? A network meta-analysis.BMC psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of physical therapeutic scoliosis exercise (PSSE) intervention for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Pooled it
- Could physical activity promote indicators of physical and psychological health among children and adolescents? An umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of different long-term exercise interventions on working memory in children and adolescents: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Optimal exercise modalities and dose for enhancing intelligence in children and adolescents: a Bayesian network meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Pooled it
- Effect of aerobic exercise on the improvement of executive function in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Pooled it
- The impact of after-school soccer exercises on inhibitory control function in children aged 8-11: an fNIRS study.BMC pediatrics · 2026Trial
- Study on the influence of TRX suspension training on the specific balance ability of surfers.PeerJ · 2025Trial
- Age-related differences and discrepancies between objective and self-assessed executive functions in youth academy footballers.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Physical Activity, Cognitive Function, and Learning Processes: The Role of Environmental Context.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Children's executive functioning and health behaviors across pediatric life stages and ecological contexts.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Article
- From hypoxic pockets to daily routines: linking brain oxygenation and cognitive resilience.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Review
- The effect of playing Onigokko on children's executive function and cardiovascular endurance in the early elementary school grades.Scientific reports · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveWe evaluated the effect of moderate-intensity exercise intervention in children and summarized the optimal exercise intervention program.
methodsFive significant databases, namely, Web of Science, PubMed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, were searched, and the literature was screened strictly according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and analyzed using Stata 15.1 software.
resultsThere were 25 studies from 22 articles, with a total of 2118 subjects included in the results. According to the meta-analysis, exercise intervention effectively improved children's working memory [SMD = -1.05, 95% CI (-1.26, -0.84)] and cognitive flexibility [SMD = -0.86, 95% CI (-1.04, -0.69)], with a minor improvement in inhibitory control [SMD = -0.55, 95% CI (-0.68, -0.42)].
conclusiona) Improvements in children's working memory and cognitive flexibility by moderate-intensity exercise interventions reached large effect sizes, and improvements in inhibitory control obtained moderate effect sizes. b) Better improvement in working memory for children aged 10 to 12 years than for children aged 6 to 9 years and better cognitive flexibility for children aged 6 to 9 years than for children aged 10 to 12 years. c) Exercise intervention programs lasting 8 to 12 weeks, 3 to 4 times/week, and 30 min/time are most effective in improving executive function 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.