Effect of physical activity on neurocognitive function of overweight children: a systematic review / 中国康复理论与实践

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.