Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38371396›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP

Effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive function in adults with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Fei-Fei Ren, Charles H Hillman, Wei-Guang Wang, Ruei-Hong Li, Wen-Sheng Zhou, Wen-Ming Liang, Yong Yang, Feng-Tzu Chen, Yu-Kai Chang

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
18.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.

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  10. EPA guidance on lifestyle interventions for adults with severe mental illness: A meta-review of the evidence.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2024
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  19. Exercise, cognition, and affective disorders.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 7 institutions in 4 countries.

Fei-Fei RenDepartment of Physical Education, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, China.
Charles H HillmanDepartment of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
Wei-Guang WangDepartment of Physical Education, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, China.
Ruei-Hong LiDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Wen-Sheng ZhouDepartment of Physical Education, Jiangsu Second Normal University, Jiangsu, China.
Wen-Ming LiangLife Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Yong YangLaboratory of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation, School of Physical Education and Sport, Chaohu University, Anhui, China.
Feng-Tzu ChenDepartment of Kinesiology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Yu-Kai ChangDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Beijing Language and Culture University · CNNational Taiwan Normal University · TWChaohu University · CNJiangsu Second Normal University · CNNational Tsing Hua University · TWNortheastern University · USVilnius University · LT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder that impairs the cognitive function of individuals. Aerobic exercise stands out as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing cognitive function and promoting brain health.While positive impacts of aerobic exercise on executive function in adults with depression have been documented, a comprehensive understanding of its benefits on overall cognitive function, including memory, attention, and processing speed, along with key moderating factors in adults with MDD, remains unexplored. The purpose of the systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on overall cognitive function in adults with MDD, and to explore whether cognitive sub-domains, aerobic exercise characteristics, and study and sample variables modify the effects of aerobic exercise on cognition. Methods: Six English electronic databases (Embase, Cochrane Central, Scopus, APA PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science) were searched from inception to 2 April 2023. Randomized trials, including adults aged 18 years or above with a diagnosis of clinical depression, of the effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive function in adults with MDD compared to non-aerobic exercise groups were included. A three-level meta-analysis was conducted utilizing a random-effects model in R. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42022367350. Results: Twelve randomized trials including 945 adults with MDD were included. Results indicated that aerobic exercise significantly improved overall cognitive function ( Limitations: This review only included peer-reviewed English-language studies, which may lead to a language bias. The results of the Egger's test suggested a potential publication bias. Conclusions: Aerobic exercise is efficacious in improving overall cognitive function and the sub-domains of memory and executive function in adults with major depressive disorder.

Indexed as

CognitionDepressionExecutive functionMemoryPhysical activity

Identifiers

PMID38371396
PMCPMC10869919
OpenAlexW4391707592

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.