Executive Functions (EF)
Conditions
Brief summary
The goal of this study is to examine the effects of acute pre-class physical exercise on executive function in real classroom settings. The main question it aims to answer is, "Does acute pre-class exercise enhance executive function compared to sedentary conditions?" Participants were students from primary school assigned by class to engage in one of several pre-class conditions: mentally passive sitting, mentally active sitting, 5-minute physical exercise, or 10-minute physical exercise. A cluster-randomized trial design was used to ensure ecological validity in authentic classroom environments. Cognitive tasks measuring inhibitory control were administered at baseline and pre-/post-class. The results indicate that pre-class exercise leads to greater improvements in inhibitory control than sedentary conditions, suggesting that integrating brief exercise sessions before lessons may be an effective strategy to optimize learning in educational contexts.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMentally active sitting
Participants remain seated for approximately 10 minutes before class while engaging in a cognitively stimulating activity designed to elicit mental effort without physical exertion.
BEHAVIORAL5-minute physical exercise
Participants remain seated quietly for approximately 5 minutes before class without performing any structured cognitive or physical tasks. Then they will have 5-minute physical exercise before class.
BEHAVIORAL10-minute physical exercise
Participants do 10-minute physical exercise before class.
Sponsors
Shenzhen University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
9 Years to 13 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* right-handed, had normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity, and normal color vision
Exclusion criteria
* reported a history of cardiovascular, metabolic, gastrointestinal, neurological, or psychiatric disorders or conditions requiring medical attention.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Domain- specific Cognition | Measurements were taken at three time points: baseline (0:00), after the 10-minute intervention (0:15), and following the 40-minute class (0:60). | This indicator is measured using the computerized Children's Version of the math-related Negative Priming task. The underlying measures employed are task accuracy and reaction time, without involving any physiological measurements. |
| Domain-general Cognition | Measurements were taken at three time points: baseline (0:00), after the 10-minute intervention (0:15), and following the 40-minute class (0:60). | This indicator is measured using the computerized Children's Version of the Erikson Flanker task. The underlying measures employed are task accuracy and reaction time, without involving any physiological measurements. |
Countries
China
Outcome results
None listed