Cabral Ludmila Lucena Pereira, Browne Rodrigo Alberto Vieira, Freire Yuri Alberto, Schwade Daniel, Souto Gabriel Costa, Dantas Matheus, Lima Flávio Anselmo Silva, Farias-Junior Luiz Fernando, Costa Eduardo Caldas, Barros Jônatas França
Graduate Program in Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
Front Physiol. 2021 Mar 2;12:640765. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.640765. eCollection 2021.
The objective of this study was to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and performance in multiple domains of executive functions in school-aged adolescents. A sample of 132 adolescents (43% girls) aged 11-16 years were included in this cross-sectional study. Each participant completed a progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance running (PACER) test, computerized cognitive tasks (Attentional Network, Berg's Card Sorting, Go/No-Go oddball, Sternberg's Working Memory, and Tower of London) and questionnaire for daytime sleepiness, as well as other factors that might influence cognitive performance (age, sex, school year, pubertal stage, and body mass index - BMI). Generalized linear model was used to calculate the coefficient estimates (β) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) for the cognitive tasks using PACER laps as a predictor, controlling for potential confounding variables. There was a negatively association of PACER laps with planning (β = -17.1, 95% CI -31.9, -2.3) and solution (β = -44.6, 95% CI -75.1, -14.2) time in performing the Tower of London task, as well as with perseverative errors in performing Berg's task (β = -0.073, 95% CI -0.133, -0.013). Moderating effect of sex was found for the association of PACER laps with completed categories and perseverative errors in Berg's task ( < 0.05). Mediating effect of BMI was found for the association between PACER laps and NoGo task, revealing a full mediator accounted for 81% of the total effect mediated (standardized indirect effect, -0.069, 95% CI -0.140, -0.020; standardized direct effect, 0.011, 95% CI -0.149, 0.165). No association was found for Attentional or Sternberg's tasks. The findings suggest that school-aged adolescents with higher CRF level showed better planning and problem-solving abilities and cognitive flexibility. Additionally, the positive association of CRF with cognitive flexibility was sex-moderated and with inhibitory control was BMI-mediated.
本研究的目的是调查心肺适能（CRF）与学龄青少年执行功能多个领域表现之间的关联。132名年龄在11至16岁的青少年（43%为女孩）参与了这项横断面研究。每位参与者完成了渐进式有氧心血管耐力跑（PACER）测试、计算机化认知任务（注意力网络测试、伯格卡片分类测试、停止信号任务、斯特恩伯格工作记忆测试和伦敦塔任务）以及日间嗜睡问卷，还有其他可能影响认知表现的因素（年龄、性别、学年、青春期阶段和体重指数 - BMI）。使用广义线性模型，以PACER圈数作为预测指标，计算认知任务的系数估计值（β）及其95%置信区间（CI），同时控制潜在的混杂变量。在执行伦敦塔任务时，PACER圈数与计划时间（β = -17.1，95% CI -31.9，-2.3）和解法时间（β = -44.6，95% CI -75.1，-14.2）呈负相关，在执行伯格任务时与持续性错误也呈负相关（β = -0.073，95% CI -0.133，-0.013）。在伯格任务中，发现性别对PACER圈数与完成类别数及持续性错误之间的关联具有调节作用（P < 0.05）。发现BMI在PACER圈数与停止信号任务之间的关联中起中介作用，揭示一个完全中介占总中介效应的81%（标准化间接效应，-0.069，95% CI -0.140，-0.020；标准化直接效应，0.011，95% CI -0.149，0.165）。在注意力或斯特恩伯格任务中未发现关联。研究结果表明，心肺适能水平较高的学龄青少年表现出更好的计划和解决问题的能力以及认知灵活性。此外，心肺适能与认知灵活性之间的正相关受性别调节，与抑制控制之间的正相关受BMI中介。
