Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41963669›Full record

ArticleSports medicine - open2026

Cycling Interventions Enhance Executive Function in Children with Autism via Heart Rate Variability Mediation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Andy C Y Tse, Paul H Lee, Eric T C Poon, Amy W Y Ho, F H Sun, Kean Poon, Patrick P K Ip, David I Anderson

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sports medicine - open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07295912 (Why Does Learning to Ride a Bike Improve Executive Functions in Children With ASD?), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT07295912 nacompletednot on this map

Why Does Learning to Ride a Bike Improve Executive Functions in Children With ASD?

TypeinterventionalSponsorChinese University of Hong KongRan2023 to 2024Enrolled62ConditionsAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)ArmsLearning to Bicycle, Bicycle Treadmill, Cycling with Training Wheels, Stationary Cycling
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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

8 authors.

Andy C Y TseDepartment of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. andytse@cuhk.edu.hk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6187-9499
Paul H LeeSouthampton Clinical Trial Units, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Eric T C PoonDepartment of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Amy W Y HoDepartment of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
F H SunDepartment of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Kean PoonSchool of Education, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia.
Patrick P K IpDepartment of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
David I AndersonDepartment of Kinesiology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, USA.

Funding

University Grants Committee 18616522
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit deficits in executive function (EF). Cycling exercise has previously shown to be effective in improving EF. However, the role of different components (e.g., spatial updating and dynamic balance) driving these positive effects remains unclear. This study examined the cognitive effect of cycling interventions with varying navigation and balance demands through a heart rate variability (HRV) mediating model.

methodsFifty-one children with ASD (M

resultsAll EF domains improved significantly in LTB and TW (ps < .001, d = .56-2.15) and so did HRV in LTB (ps < .001, d = 1.24). HRV partially mediated EF improvements in LTB (β = .35-1.62) and TW (β = .31-1.38), but not in BT and SC. BT showed modest to moderate EF gains (d = .07-.97), while SC showed minimal effects (d = .00-.59).

conclusionsCycling interventions with spatial updating and dynamic balance components benefited EF the most in children with ASD, with HRV as a partial mediator. These findings provided insight into optimizing exercise interventions to address EF deficits in children with ASD. Trial registration NCT07295912 (registered retrospectively on 19th Dec 2025 at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT07295912 . We acknowledge that best practice is prospective registration per ICMJE guidelines).

Indexed as

Autism spectrum disorderChildrenCyclingExecutive functionHeart rate variabilityRandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID41963669
PMCPMC13069054

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.