SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2025
Effects of school-based physical activity programs on executive function development in children: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparative effects of physical education interventions on motor ability and executive function in junior high school students and their interrelationships.Frontiers in public health · 2026Trial
- Effects of Dance and Rhythmic Physical Activity Interventions on Executive Function and Motor Competence in Children: A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Storytelling in Motion: Effects of a Narrative-Based Outdoor Motor Intervention on Motor Competence and Inhibitory Control in Preschool Children-A Quasi-Experimental Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The policy exposome of dementia: Gaps, opportunities, and research agenda.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Review
- Effects of Martial Arts Intervention in Children and Young People with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD): A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 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
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Executive functions (EF) are core cognitive processes that support self-regulation, learning, and behavioral flexibility in childhood. Structured physical activity (PA) programs implemented in school settings have been proposed as a means to enhance EF, but previous findings are inconsistent due to variations in intervention design, cognitive demands, and measurement strategies. This review offers an updated synthesis by focusing exclusively on school-based interventions in primary school children and including studies with neurophysiological outcomes. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and EBSCO for studies published between January 2015 and March 2025. Eligible studies were randomized or cluster-randomized trials evaluating structured PA programs targeting EF in children aged 6-12 years. Methodological quality was assessed using a custom checklist aligned with Cochrane ROB-2 criteria. Due to heterogeneity in intervention formats and outcome measures, a narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria (total Conclusion: School-based physical activity can support EF development in children, especially when interventions are sustained and cognitively demanding. Effects are strongest for inhibition and working memory, while gains in cognitive flexibility appear less consistent and may require greater novelty and task variability. Future trials should refine intervention parameters, apply standardized EF assessments, and explore individual variability to guide evidence-based educational applications. Systematic review registration: CRD420251084225, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251084225.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.