Aerobic exercise and neurocognitive performance: a meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials.
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and are now outdated as a result of the recent publication of several large-scale,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 articleSubject
AdultAge 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
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/13857Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181d14633Publication 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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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
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.
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
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
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.
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 cardiovascu
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
This author no longer has a Scholars@Duke profile, so the information shown here reflects
their Duke status at the time this item was deposited.
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
Alphabetical list of authors with Scholars@Duke profiles.

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