SynthesisPloS one2023
Meta-analysis of the effects of physical activity on executive function in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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 28 papers, 12 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
28 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- The impact of physical activity on children's attention and math performance: A meta-analysis.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Pooled 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
- The impact of targeted physical activity interventions on inhibition control in children and adolescents with ADHD: a meta-analysis.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- The effects of physical activity on executive function in preschool children: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- A multilevel meta-analysis of the effects of exercise interventions on inhibitory control in children with ADHD.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Intervention effect of a single exercise session on executive function in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a three-level meta-analysis.BMC pediatrics · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition, memory and executive function: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis.British journal of sports medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Optimal exercise intensity for improving executive function in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: systematic review and network meta-analysis.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- The impact of physical activity on working memory in children with ADHD: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of exercise on executive function in individuals with drug addiction: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis.Frontiers in sports and active living · 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 influence of chronic exercise intervention on the executive function of children with neurodevelopmental disorders: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Effects of Physical Activity Interventions on Cognitive Flexibility in Children with ADHD: A Systematic Review.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Effects of Cognitively Enriched Handball Training on Behavioral Symptoms, Working Memory, and Motor Competence in Girls with ADHD: A Randomized Controlled Trial.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2026Article
- Article
- Physical activity profiles of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms among preschool children.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- Effects of Different Physical Activity Approaches on Executive Functions in Primary School Children with ADHD: A Scoping Review with Methodological Reflections.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Game changer: How middle childhood sport predicts reduced oppositional-defiant behavior by early adolescence.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Associations Between 24 h Movement Behaviours and Cognitive Abilities in Slovak Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The effects of exergaming on executive functions in children with ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundExecutive function is a core deficit in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study systematically reviewed the evidence for the effects of physical activity (PA) interventions on executive function in children and adolescents with ADHD and explored the moderating effects of key variables of PA on executive function.
methodsRelevant literature in four electronic databases, Pubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase, were systematically searched. Revman 5.4 was used for data analysis, and combined effect sizes, heterogeneity tests, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analyses were calculated. Egger's test in Stata 15.0 was used for publication bias testing.
resultsA total of 24 articles with 914 participants were included. Meta-analysis showed that PA interventions improved inhibitory control (SMD = -0.50, 95%CI [-0.71, -0.29], P < 0.00001), working memory (SMD = -0.50, 95%CI [-0.83, -0.16], P = 0.004) and cognitive flexibility in children and adolescents with ADHD (SMD = -0.45, 95%CI [-0.81, -0.09], P = 0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed a moderating effect of intervention intensity, motor skill type, sessions of PA, and weekly exercise volume on executive function.
conclusionPA interventions had positive effects on improvements in core executive functions in children and adolescents with ADHD and were influenced by intervention intensity, type of motor skill, sessions of PA, and amount of exercise. This has practical implications for the formulation of PA interventions programs.
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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.