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Aerobic exercise and neurocognitive performance: a meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials.

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Date
2010-04
Authors
Smith, Patrick J
Blumenthal, James A
Hoffman, Benson M
Cooper, Harris
Strauman, Timothy A
Welsh-Bohmer, Kathleen
Browndyke, Jeffrey N
Sherwood, Andrew
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(8 total)
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of aerobic exercise training on neurocognitive performance. Although the effects of exercise on neurocognition have been the subject of several previous reviews and meta-analyses, they have been hampered by methodological shortcomings and are now outdated as a result of the recent publication of several large-scale, randomized, controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review of RCTs examining the association between aerobic exercise training on neurocognitive performance between January 1966 and July 2009. Suitable studies were selected for inclusion according to the following criteria: randomized treatment allocation; mean age > or =18 years of age; duration of treatment >1 month; incorporated aerobic exercise components; supervised exercise training; the presence of a nonaerobic-exercise control group; and sufficient information to derive effect size data. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies met inclusion criteria and were included in our analyses, representing data from 2049 participants and 234 effect sizes. Individuals randomly assigned to receive aerobic exercise training demonstrated modest improvements in attention and processing speed (g = 0.158; 95% confidence interval [CI]; 0.055-0.260; p = .003), executive function (g = 0.123; 95% CI, 0.021-0.225; p = .018), and memory (g = 0.128; 95% CI, 0.015-0.241; p = .026). CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic exercise training is associated with modest improvements in attention and processing speed, executive function, and memory, although the effects of exercise on working memory are less consistent. Rigorous RCTs are needed with larger samples, appropriate controls, and longer follow-up periods.
Type
Journal article
Subject
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Attention
Cognition
Cognition Disorders
Executive Function
Exercise
Exercise Therapy
Humans
Memory
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Treatment Outcome
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/13857
Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181d14633
Publication Info
Smith, Patrick J; Blumenthal, James A; Hoffman, Benson M; Cooper, Harris; Strauman, Timothy A; Welsh-Bohmer, Kathleen; ... Sherwood, Andrew (2010). Aerobic exercise and neurocognitive performance: a meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials. Psychosom Med, 72(3). pp. 239-252. 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181d14633. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/13857.
This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Scholars@Duke

Blumenthal

James Alan Blumenthal

J. P. Gibbons Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry I
Psychosocial factors and coronary heart disease, including such factors as social support, Type A behavior and hostility, and depression, exercise training and depression in the elderly; behavioral approaches to the treatment of hypertension (e.g., weight loss and exercise); cardiac rehabilitation; neuropsychological outcomes following cardiac surgery; psychosocial aspects of heart and lung transplantation; exercise training and osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia; compliance.
Browndyke

Jeffrey Nicholas Browndyke

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Browndyke is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Health & Neurosciences in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences.  He has a secondary appointment as Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery.Dr. Browndyke's research interests involve the use of advanced neurocognitive and neuroimaging techniques for perioperative contributions to delirium and later dementia risk, monitoring of late-life neuropathological disease progression, and inter
Cooper

Harris M. Cooper

Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience
            Harris Cooper received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Connecticut in 1975. From 1977 to 2003, he was on the faculty at the University of Missouri. In 2003, he moved to Duke University where he is now Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience. Dr. Cooper has been a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, the University of Oregon, and the Russell Sage Fou
Hoffman

Benson Mark Hoffman

Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
I have a longstanding interest in the effects of cardiopulmonary disease on health-related quality of life, including depression, cognition, and sexual function. I also study the effects of coping, aerobic exercise, and lung transplantation on quality of life.
Sherwood

Andrew Sherwood

Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
My current research focus is on biological, behavioral and sociocultural factors involved in the etiology and management of hypertension, coronary artery disease, and congestive heart failure. The role of stress and the sympathetic nervous system in disease onset and progression is of central interest. Current research issues being studied include: (i) Ethnicity and gender as factors related to the pathogenesis of hypertension; (ii) Mechanisms by which menopause increases the risk of card
Smith

Patrick J Smith

Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Smith is interested in the impact of lifestyle interventions, such as diet and exercise, on neurocognitive function and mood. He has also published multiple studies examining the relationship between cardiovascular disease, major depressive disorder, and neurocognitive outcomes, preoperative predictors of postoperative delirium, the impact of cardiothoracic interventions on neurocognitive outcomes, and the relationship between patterns of dietary intake and cardiovascular outcomes. He is als
Welsh-Bohmer

Kathleen Anne Welsh-Bohmer

Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Kathleen Welsh-Bohmer is a Professor of Psychiatry with a secondary appointment in the Department of Neurology.   Clinically trained as a neuropsychologist, Dr. Welsh-Bohmer's research activities have been focused around developing effective prevention and treatment strategies to delay the onset of cognitive disorders occurring in later life.  From 2006 through 2018 she directed the Joseph and Kathleen Bryan Alzheimer’s Center
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