SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2026
The impact of walking training on cognitive function in older adults: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
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Who cites it
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of walking-based exercise on cognitive function in older adults and to determine whether different walking modalities produce improvements in specific cognitive domains. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was conducted through September 9, 2025. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing walking interventions-such as overground, interval, or virtual-reality treadmill walking-with non-aerobic control conditions. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models. The Results: Eight RCTs involving 772 participants (418 in the intervention and 354 in control groups) met the inclusion criteria. Walking interventions did not significantly enhance attention and executive function (SMD = 0.12, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.41; Conclusion: This meta-analysis found no evidence that walking training significantly improves cognitive function in older adults. These findings highlight the need for future large-scale, long-duration RCTs with standardized walking protocols, including walking speed, intensity, and domain-specific cognitive outcomes. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO; Identifier CRD420261422255.
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