Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42903115›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychology2026

Gray matter volume moderates the effect of acute physical activity on cognitive load and relates to reading comprehension in adolescents: the Cogni-Action Project.

Carlos Cristi-Montero, Ricardo Martínez-Flores, Hans Supèr, Javier Sanchez-Martinez, Patricio Solis-Urra, Benjamin Tari, Romualdo Ibáñez, Fabian Herold, Fred Paas, Myrto Mavilidi and 1 more

Abstract read
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Article 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.

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

11 authors.

Carlos Cristi-Montero *IRyS Group, Physical Education School, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
Ricardo Martínez-Flores *Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain.
Hans SupèrInstitute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona (UBNeuro), Barcelona, Spain.
Javier Sanchez-MartinezDepartment of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Patricio Solis-UrraAdventHealth Research Institute, Neuroscience Institute, Orlando, FL, United States.
Benjamin TariInstitute of Sport, Exercise & Health Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Romualdo IbáñezInstituto de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Millennium Nucleus for the Science of Learning (MiNSoL), Valparaíso, Chile.
Fabian HeroldDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, HMU Health and Medical University Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.
Fred PaasDepartment of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Myrto MavilidiFaculty of Education, & Physical Activity, Sport & Exercise (PASER) Research Theme, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Liye ZouBody-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Acute physical activity reduces cognitive load (CL) and improves reading comprehension; however, the role of gray matter volume in these effects is unknown. This study examined how gray matter volume moderates the effects of physical activity on cognitive load, and explored its association with reading comprehension. Methods: A total of 13 male adolescents (aged 12-13 years), a neuroimaging subsample of a larger cohort, completed a randomized crossover trial that involved three energy-matched conditions: sedentary condition (SC), moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), and cooperative high-intensity interval training (C-HIIT). We measured gray matter volume in the hippocampus, pars opercularis, and brainstem using MRI. The primary outcome cognitive load (pupil dilation) was analyzed using within-subject permutation with max- Results: Physical activity was a significant predictor of cognitive load ( Conclusion: Gray matter volume influenced cognitive load through its interaction with physical activity modality, with C-HIIT producing the lowest cognitive load. Comprehension gains under C-HIIT were exploratorily associated with pars opercularis volume, suggesting that specific neuroanatomical characteristics may complement activity modality for cognitive benefits in school settings.

Indexed as

adolescentbrain volumecrossover trialexercisepupillometry

Identifiers

PMID42903115
PMCPMC13680183

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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.