ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo observe the effect of twelve-week aerobic exercise on inhibitory control abilities and the change of brain activation in overweight children. MethodsFrom October to December, 2021, 20 overweight children from a primary school in Changping District were selected for a twelve-week aerobic exercise intervention. Their inhibitory control abilities were measured by Flanker task before and after intervention, while their brain activation levels during the task were detected by functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). ResultsThe interactions between task type and time of accuracy and reaction time in inconsistent tasks Flanker task were significant (F > 9.277, P < 0.05), with higher accuracy and lower reaction time of after intervention (P < 0.05). After intervention, ch1, ch2, ch3, ch6, and ch8 channels were activated by inconsistent tasks (P < 0.05). ConclusionA twelve-week aerobic exercise intervention could improve the inhibitory control ability, and increase the prefrontal cortex activation during inconsistent tasks in overweight children.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To explore the affect of physical activity on neurocognitive function of overweight children.Methods The literatures about the effect of physical activity on neurocognitive function of overweight children were retrieved with subjected retrieval method in CNKI, VIP, Wanfang database, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO databases from January, 2000 to January, 2022. The authors, countries, published years, ages of subjects, research methods, intervention time, measurement tools and measurement indicators were extracted.Results Twelve articles were selected finally. These articles came from United States, Italy, Belgium and China, were mainly published in journals of psychology, clinical medicine, neuroscience, physical education. The study design included randomized controlled trials and pre-post-trial. The mean PEDro score was 6.67. The types of physical activity included fitness, skills and sports activities. The overweight children participating in physical activities could benefit from cognition and brain plasticity. On the cognition, physical activity could improve attention, memory, inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility. In terms of brain plasticity, physical activity could improve the integrity of brain white matter, increase hippocampal volume, enhance brain activation and brain network connectivity.Conclusion Physical activity is a simple and effective form of exercise. It can improve not only attention, memory, executive function and other cognitive functions, but also brain structure and brain function in overweight children. The mechanism of cognition, the interaction between physical activity and other factors, and the dose-relationship between physical activity and cognitive benefits still need to be explored in the future.