Effects of Physical Activity on Executive Function and Emotional Regulation in Children and Adolescents with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic review reveals physical activity benefits emotional regulation in youth with neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting targeted interventions may be more effective.
Key Points
Physical activity interventions showed a significant effect on emotional regulation outcomes in youth with neurodevelopmental disorders, but less consistent results on executive functioning.
Meta-analysis indicated a large effect size for emotional regulation (g = −1.204; p < 0.001) compared to a non-significant effect for executive functioning (g = 0.492; p = 0.215).
The systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and included 22 randomized controlled trials evaluating physical activity's impact on cognitive and emotional domains.
Future research should identify optimal protocols for physical activity interventions to enhance efficacy for both emotional regulation and executive functioning.
Cite This Study
Carcelén-Fraile et al. (2025) studied this question.