Conscientiousness is associated with improvement in visuospatial working memory and mood following acute physical exercise: A randomized controlled trial

A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis provide evidence for an effect of acute physical activity on cognition in young adults

Physical exercise is a potential intervention for enhancing cognitive function across the lifespan. However, while studies employing long-term exercise interventions consistently show positive effects on cognition, studies using single acute bouts have produced mixed results. Here, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the impact of acute exercise on cognitive task performance in healthy young adults. A Bayesian hierarchical model quantified probabilistic evidence for a modulatory relationship by synthesizing 651 effect sizes from 113 studies from PsychInfo and Google Scholar representing 4,390 participants. Publication bias was mitigated using the trim-and-fill method. Acute exercise was found to have a small beneficial effect on cognition (g = 0.13 ± 0.04; BF = 3.67) and decrease reaction time. A meta-analysis restricted to executive function tasks revealed improvements in working memory and inhibition. Meta-analytic estimates were consistent across multiple priors and likelihood functions. Physical activities were categorized based on exercise type (e.g., cycling) because many activities have aerobic and anaerobic components, but this approach may limit comparison to studies that categorize activities based on metabolic demands. The current study provides an updated synthesis of the existing literature and insights into the robustness of acute exercise-induced effects on cognition. Funding provided by the United States Army Research Office.

Effects of physical activity on visuospatial working memory in healthy individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Physical activity interventions improve cognitive performance, especially visuospatial working memory (VSWM). However, evidence on the effects of these interventions in children, adolescents, and older adults remains scant. This meta-analysis aimed to identify the effects of physical activity on VSWM improvement in healthy individuals and the best exercise intervention program to improve VSWM capacity.

Methods

We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise interventions targeting VSWM in healthy individuals from Web of Science, MEDLINE, BIOSIS Previews, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data (Chinese) databases, from inception to August 20, 2022.

Results

Among 21 articles (1,595 healthy participants), the heterogeneity test statistic was I2 = 32.3%, p = 0.053. The mean quality scores of the included articles were 6.9 points (reaction time [RT] studies) and 7.5 points (Score studies). Moreover, 28 RCTs were included (10 RT studies and 18 Score studies), and the subgroup analysis found significant effects for elderly participants, children, interventions involving a higher level of cognitive engagement, low and moderate exercise intensity, chronic exercise, exercise duration ≥60 min, and exercise period ≥90 days. Physical activity had a small but significant positive impact on VSWM in healthy individuals. Current evidence confirms the effects of physical activity on VSWM capacity only in children and seniors but not in young adults. Other age groups, including adolescents and middle-aged adults, have not been studied. Prescription of interventions involving high-level cognitive engagement, low and moderate exercise intensity, chronic exercise, exercise for >30 min per session, and exercise for more than 3 months is recommended for children and seniors.

Discussion

Future RCTs would be to fill the gap in studies on adolescents and middle-aged adults, and report detailed exercise intervention programs about different age groups.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022354737). INPLASY (https://doi.org/10.37766/inplasy2022.8.0053).

Mind-Body Practice, Personality Traits, and Cognitive Performance: A 10-Years Study in US Adults

It is widely established that physical activity is associated with better cognitive outcomes, and accumulating evidence suggests that mind-body practice (MBP, e.g., movement therapies such as yoga) may yield similar benefits. Personality is related to both daily activities and cognition, but its role in the association between MBP and cognition is not well understood. Using data from waves 2 and 3 (2004–2014) of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, the current study examines bidirectional temporal associations between personality traits, MBP, and cognition in healthy adults (N = 2050). We applied a cross-lagged regression analysis to examine bidirectional effects between MBP, Big Five personality traits, and two cognitive domains (episodic memory and executive function) and controlled for relevant variables (sociodemographic factors, health, and functional status) at wave 2. MBP at baseline was independently associated with more favorable change in episodic memory, but not in executive function, both before and after including control variables. Also, episodic memory and executive function at baseline were related to increase in MBP. The findings show that MBP and cognitive function predict each other over time. There is also some evidence for cognition and personality associations over time; however, personality traits are not related to subsequent MBP.

Profile of Mood States Factor Structure Does Not Accurately Account for Patients with Chronic Pain

OBJECTIVE

The need for measuring emotional functioning in patients with chronic pain was recognized decades ago. The Initiative on Methods, Measures, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT) proposed the Profile of Mood States for this purpose. However, to date, its factor structure has not been confirmed in these patients.

METHODS

We set out to use confirmatory factor analysis to test the theoretical structure of seven factors: Tension-Anxiety, Depression-Dejection, Anger-Hostility, Vigor-Activity, Fatigue-Inertia, Confusion-Bewilderment, and Friendliness.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample consisted of 588 Spanish adult patients with chronic pain.

RESULTS

The original structure could not be verified according to the obtained fit indices (e.g., root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.11). For this reason, we carried out a second study that relied on exploratory factor analysis to evaluate the structure in half of the cases and confirmatory factor analysis to validate it in the other half. The factor structure detected in the exploratory factor analysis was not satisfactory, nor could it be validated with confirmatory factor analysis (e.g., normed fit index between 0.54 and 0.56).

CONCLUSIONS

The factor structure of the Profile of Mood States could not be satisfactorily confirmed. Consequently, other mood measures and shorter, optimized versions of the POMS are discussed as possible alternatives.