SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2025
Multilevel meta-analysis of the effect of exercise intervention on inhibitory control in children with ASD.
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 3 papers, 2 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
3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Optimal dosage of exercise interventions for enhancing inhibitory control in overweight and obese children and adolescents: insights from a multilevel meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Dietary Supplement Interventions and Sleep Quality Improvement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Physical exercise therapy for autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review of systematic reviews.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Inhibitory control deficits represent a core cognitive challenge for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), impacting behavioral regulation, social interaction, and adaptive functioning. Exercise interventions have emerged as promising non-pharmacological approaches for cognitive enhancement, yet their specific effects on inhibitory control in the ASD population remain unclear. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of exercise interventions on inhibitory control in children and adolescents with ASD. Methods: This systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines and was prospectively registered (PROSPERO: CRD420251039964). We systematically searched five electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CNKI) from inception to December 2023. Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials evaluating exercise interventions for inhibitory control in ASD populations were included. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (ROB2). Effect sizes were calculated as standardized mean differences (SMDs) and synthesized using a three-level meta-analytic approach to account for dependency among effect sizes. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression explored potential moderators of intervention efficacy. Results: Ten studies comprising 466 participants (229 in intervention groups) met inclusion criteria. Exercise interventions demonstrated significant positive effects on inhibitory control in children with ASD (SMD = 0.66, 95% CI [0.44, 0.88]). Structured exercise interventions showed differential efficacy, with Mini Basketball (SMD = 0.95), Martial Arts (SMD = 0.90), and Bicycle Learning (SMD = 0.86) yielding the largest effects. Meta-regression identified total training duration as a significant positive predictor of intervention efficacy ( Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides robust evidence supporting exercise interventions, particularly structured activities combining physical and cognitive demands, for improving inhibitory control in children with ASD. The findings suggest important clinical implications for intervention design, highlighting the value of adequate intervention duration and early implementation. Future research should address methodological limitations through high-quality trials with standardized protocols and extended follow-up periods. Systamatic review: CRD420251039964.
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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.