european college of sport science

Thursday, June 25th, 2009
COGNITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN KINDERGARTEN - DEVELOPMENT OF A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM FOR
THE IMPROVEMENT OF COGNITIVE ABILITIES AND THE QUESTION OF HOW TO ASSESS COGNITIVE CONTROL
EVERKE, J., GRZYB, K.R., HÜBNER, R., WOLL, A.
UNIVERSITY OF KONSTANZ
Introduction: Physiological processes in the brain, visualized by new technologies (fMRT) since the early 90s, have shown that physical
activity has a positive impact on brain function. Scientific studies involving motor and cognitive ability tests came to the same positive
conclusion.
Motor activity and cognition:
There appears to be a strong link between coordinative abilities (e.g. balance) and cognitive abilities (e.g. concentration). However, there
is a lack of research in controlled evidence based intervention studies relating to transfer effects from motor ability programs to cognitive
abilities.
Moreover, the relation between more specific components of motor and cognitive abilities (e.g. selective attention, inhibitory control,
behavioral self-monitoring) remains largely unclear.
Methods: The purpose of the first study is the evaluation of the question whether the transfer effects of a physical activity program (e.g.
balance) for preschool children lead to the improvement of cognitive abilities (e.g. concentration, memory). In a pre- and post-test experimental
design, 75 kindergarten children (3-5 years) participated in a three-month physical activity program, while those in the control
groups, divided into an internal (n= 75) and an external (n=20) control group participated in the regular curriculum. The treatment
(5times/week) ended after 12 weeks and the follow-up evaluation was conducted after another 12 weeks. Both groups were tested for
motor skills and cognitive abilities. The CoMiK-study is a longitudinal and intervention study.
The purpose of an additional second study was the assessment of different measures of cognitive control. Selective attention and behavioral
self-monitoring was measured with an Erikson-Flanker task. Inhibitory control was measured with a stop-signal task. In both paradigms,
reaction time data is collected. The Erikson Flanker task is a widely used paradigm in which participants have to suppress irrelevant
information and focus on relevant information in the environment. In the stop-signal task, a primary response has to be inhibited on
some trials whenever a stop-signal appears. The response latency to the stop-signal serves as a measure for the ability to inhibit a
prepotent response.
Results and discussion: Results of the first study can support the hypothesis of a positive impact of a physical activity program for preschool
children. The experimental group showed improvement compared to the control groups on the concentration task, which were
statistically significant for the external control group.
Results from the second study show the usefulness of more specific theoretical constructs for a deeper understanding of the relation
between motor and cognitive abilities.
Conclusion: More research in experimental design studies needs to be undertaken to support and substantiate the transfer and causation
hypothesis.
EFFECT OF COORDINATIVE EXERCISES ON CHILDREN’S ATTENTION
GALLOTTA, M.C., EMERENZIANI, G.P., GUIDETTI, L., BALDARI, C., BONAVOLONTÀ, V., FRANCIOSI, E.
UNIVERSITY OF ROME
Introduction: The mandatory primary school Italian Physical Education (P.E.) curriculum is structured to promote children physiological,
emotional, social and cognitive development. Many studies revealed evidence of the positive effects of P.E. on children psychophysical
development (Serbescu et al., 2006), but there is a lack of studies focusing on the contribution of P.E. on their cognitive development and
attentional performance (Tomporowski, 2003). Moreover, little is known about the positive effects of coordinative exercise on cognitive
functioning during development (Budde et al., 2008). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of two different physical
exercise conditions on children cognitive performance. In particular, the study was performed to investigate whether acute coordinative
exercises during the school time may have positive effects on concentration and attentional performance in young children.
Methods: Nineteen children aged 9-10 years of a primary school were tested using the d2-test to assess their attention and concentration.
Children performed the d2-test before and after a traditional and an experimental P.E. characterized by a high variability of motor
coordination and skill learning demands. The total number of items processed (TN) within the d2-test, the percentage of errors (E%), and
the concentration performance (CP) were calculated and used as a parameter for sustained attention and concentration. TN value was a
quantitative measure of the working speed, E% was a qualitative measure of performance, representing the proportion of errors made
within the area of all items processed, and CP was an objective measure of concentration, representing the number of the correct responses
minus the errors. Exercise intensity was monitored using Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE) (Borg, 1982).
Results: The TN and the E% did not significantly change after the two P.E. conditions while the CP significantly improved after the experimental
P.E. lesson (p