Jul 2026· Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology· pp.
1-10
· 0 citations· 40 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Among former college athletes, exercise engagement was positively associated with objective cognitive functioning but not subjective cognition, which instead was weakly to moderately related to emotional symptom endorsement, suggesting that ongoing exercise may support healthy cognitive aging even in those with extensive athletic histories.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Exercise is a well-established protective factor which may support healthy aging, yet questions remain regarding its direct benefit on cognition, especially in older adult populations with extensive prior athletic participation.
Method
Data were drawn from 636 participants (Mage = 61.0, SD = 7.4) that completed a study of brain health in former college athletes. Participants completed self-report measures of depression (PHQ-8), anxiety (GAD-7), and cognition (CFI), in addition to an objective cognitive screening instrument (TICS-40). Weekly exercise was reported across aerobic, resistance, and wellness activities, and modeled as a latent factor. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine associations between exercise, emotional symptoms, and cognitive functioning while adjusting for age and education.
Results
Latent models demonstrated good to excellent fit to the data. In separate models, greater weekly exercise engagement was significantly associated with better objective cognitive functioning (β = .12, p =.019), but not with subjective cognition (β = -.05, p =.274). Instead, depression (β = .32, p < .001) and anxiety (β = .22, p < .001) symptoms were stronger predictors of greater subjective cognitive difficulties than exercise engagement.
Conclusions
Among former college athletes, exercise engagement was positively associated with objective cognitive functioning but not subjective cognition, which instead was weakly to moderately related to emotional symptom endorsement. These findings highlight the importance of considering both psychological and physical health when evaluating cognition in former athletes and suggest that ongoing exercise may support healthy cognitive aging even in those with extensive athletic histories.
Introduction. Current evidence highlights the significant cognitive and physiological benefits of regular sports engagement, with well-established positive impact on both sleep quality and executive functions (EF).
Objective. The present study aimed to compare sleep quality parameters between young adults practicing individual and team sports, as well as to examine the direct and indirect structural relationships among sports participation indicators, sleep quality, and executive functioning.
Method. The sample consisted of 132 young adults aged 18 to 40 years (M = 23.89, SD = 4.93). A sociodemographic and sports questionnaire was employed, along with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI). Data analysis included Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Pearson’s r correlation analyses, MANCOVA, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Bootstrapping with 5000 resamples was used to test mediation effects.
Results. The CFA supported the two-factor structure of the ADEXI —working memory and inhibition— with acceptable fit. Sports participation was associated with distinct sleep quality profiles. Specifically, individual sports practitioners reported better sleep quality and shorter sleep latency, team sports practitioners exhibited higher sleep efficiency. Structural equation modeling indicated that sleep quality statistically mediated the relationship between sports participation indicators (current sports practice, weekly hours, and total years of practice) and EF. Additionally, an earlier age of initiation into sports directly predicted fewer EF difficulties, independent of sleep quality, suggesting that early sports participation may contribute to the development of a resilient cognitive reserve.
Conclusion. Regular sports engagement, especially when it begins early in life, is associated with better subjective sleep quality and executive functioning. These findings highlight the potential protective role of sports in promoting cognitive health among and support the incorporation of regular sports participation into public health and health promotion strategies aimed at preserving executive functioning.
Josué Díaz Saint Pere, Vanessa Arán Filippetti· Revista de Investigación e I...· 0 citations
Chronic aerobic exercise is known to protect against brain and cognitive aging in animals, but it remains unclear whether these benefits are consistent across the span of older adulthood. Using time-varying effect modeling (TVEM) analysis, this study investigated how the associations between changes in cognition and brain network functional connectivity (FC), induced by a 6-month aerobic exercise intervention, vary with age among older adults aged 55 to 80 (n = 107). Participants were divided into two groups based on exercise intensity: moderate-to-vigorous (ModVig group) and light-intensity (Light group). Before and after the intervention, participants completed cognitive tasks measuring executive function (EF) and processing speed (PS) and underwent resting-state fMRI sessions. FC was assessed across large-scale brain networks, including the frontoparietal control (FPCN), default mode (DMN), dorsal attention (DAN), limbic (LN), salience (SN), somatomotor (SMN), and visual network (VN). Change scores for each cognitive task and FC network were calculated by subtracting pre-intervention scores from post-intervention scores. Older adults in the ModVig group demonstrated improved PS performance at ages 58 to 65 and increased FC at ages 67 to 69 in the DAN. When individuals were exposed to ModVig intensity exercise, increases in FC within the FPCN, DMN, and SN were associated with improved EF and PS performance in those in their mid-60s to mid-70s. These findings support the importance of targeting higher moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise intensity for interventions, particularly in this age group, to enhance brain and cognitive health.
M. Jung, Marco Pipoly, Bryan Madero et al.· Aging Brain· 0 citations
Anxiety and depression have been associated with worse performance on baseline balance and neurocognitive testing, and increased symptom reporting, using the SCAT, ImPACT, and BESS. This study replicated these findings using the Sway Sports+ Battery.
A sample of 10,885 middle/high school, and collegiate athletes, ages 13-22, completed a pre-season baseline assessment. The Sway Sports+ Battery contains a Balance module and yields Reaction Time, Inspection Time, Impulse Control, and Memory scores. Total Symptom scores were documented as well as Total Symptoms without Emotion (removing “Sadness”, “More Emotional”, “Irritability” and “Nervous or Anxious”). Athletes also completed a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder assessment (GAD7), and were assigned to groups based on their PHQ9 and GAD7 scores (Minimal: 0-4; Mild 5-9; Moderate-to-Severe 10+).
12.0% of athletes obtained GAD7 scores consistent with mild and 4.5% with moderate-to-severe anxiety; 13.3% of athletes obtained PHQ9 scores consistent with mild and 5.6% with moderate-to-severe depression. Athletes with moderate-to-severe anxiety scored significantly worse on Impulse Control (p<.001, Effect Size (ES)=.01) and Inspection Time (p<.001; ES=.01), and the three groups were significantly different with respect to endorsement of Total Symptoms (p<.001; ES=.20) and Total Symptoms without Emotion (p<.001; ES=.16), with small effect sizes. A similar pattern was obtained for PHQ9 scores, although Memory scores were also significant (p<.001; ES=.01). There were no significant differences on Balance performance.
Anxiety and depression is not related to decreased balance performance, but athletes with anxiety and depression perform worse on baseline cognitive testing using Sway, and endorse significantly more concussion-related symptoms.
Exercise intolerance, defined as the exacerbation of neurobehavioral symptoms during physical exertion, is commonly associated with the acute recovery phase after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). However, Repetitive Head Trauma-Associated Persistent Exercise Intolerance (RHT-PEI) in individuals with remote, repetitive mTBIs has not been characterized.
P. Schatz, A. Wexler· Archives of Clinical Neurops...· 0 citations
Background and objectives Executive function (EF) serves as a critical regulatory hub for goal-directed behavior, yet its operational integrity is increasingly threatened by the sedentary lifestyles and psychological stressors prevalent in higher education. While the cognitive benefits of exercise are documented, the specific pathways through which it navigates psychological and physiological barriers remain underexplored. This study constructs a chain mediation model to elucidate how physical activity (PA) optimizes EF by sequentially modulating anxiety and sleep quality (SQ) among university students. Methods Data collection was conducted in December 2025, involving a multi-stage cluster convenience sample of 2,033 students across six Chinese provinces. Participants (mean age 19.0 ± 1.1) completed a battery of validated instruments, including the Single-Item Measure for PA, the GAD-2 for anxiety, the Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale, and the Adolescent Executive Function Scale. Structural relationships were analyzed using the SPSS PROCESS macro (Model 6) while controlling for demographic covariates such as gender, age, and socioeconomic background. Results Path analysis confirmed that PA positively predicts EF proficiency, with the direct effect accounting for 49.53% of the total variance. Beyond this direct link, the relationship is substantiated by three distinct mediating trajectories: (1) a psychological pathway via anxiety reduction (31.78%), (2) a physiological pathway via enhanced sleep quality (14.02%), (3) a sequential chain pathway wherein PA alleviates anxiety, which subsequently optimizes sleep, leading to superior executive performance (4.67%). All mediating effects reached statistical significance as evidenced by bootstrap confidence intervals. Conclusion These findings transition the understanding of physical intervention from a unilinear correlation to a multi-systemic synergistic response. Exercise functions not only as a cognitive catalyst but also as a vital buffer that prevents the maladaptive depletion of neural resources by stabilizing emotional oscillations and facilitating physiological restoration. The results underscore the necessity for higher education institutions to integrate physical activity, psychological counseling, and sleep hygiene management into a cohesive framework for cognitive health.
Yuhao Li, Xiaotong Wan, Aojie Ru et al.· Frontiers in Psychology· 0 citations
Background A hyperthymic temperament and high perceived energy are often framed as positive dispositional traits, particularly in later life. Indeed, these characteristics are generally associated with a greater tendency to preserve autonomy and with more favorable outcomes in terms of health, engagement, and participation in community life-key dimensions of successful aging. However, the relationship between elevated perceived energy and cognitive performance in older adults remains insufficiently explored. Therefore, this exploratory study aimed to compare cognitive performance and well-being in older adults with different self-reported levels of subjective energy, and to explore potential phenotypic heterogeneity within this population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on older adults from the general population. Participants were classified as having higher versus lower levels of perceived energy based on item 10 of the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaire. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R). Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), biological and behavioral rhythm regulation with the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), and quality of life with the SF-12 were also evaluated to characterize overall well-being. Results Statistically significant difference emerged in global cognitive performance between individuals with higher versus lower perceived energy (ES ACE-R p=0.012). Although subscale scores were within the normative range in both groups, individuals with higher perceived energy consistently showed significantly lower scores in language (p = 0.011) and attention/orientation (p = 0.049) compared to the lower perceived energy group. Interestingly, the higher perceived energy group also reported fewer depressive symptoms (p = 0.013), better social and behavioral rhythm regulation (p = 0.005), and higher quality of life (p < 0.001). Discussion/Conclusions Hyperenergy in older adults with preserved well-being is not associated with global cognitive impairment, but rather with subtle domain-specific performance variations, suggesting a heterogeneous underlying profile. These findings support a high-energy profile that does not appear to be associated with functional impairment, but is instead characterized by preserved or enhanced functioning and overall well-being, despite selective areas of lower performance. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify its clinical and cognitive implications.
Orsola Marra, D. Primavera, Giulia Cossu et al.· Frontiers in Psychiatry· 0 citations
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common and often persistent mental health condition that typically emerges during adolescence and is associated with marked functional impairment. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors remain first-line treatments, many individuals experience incomplete response, poor tolerability, stigma-related concerns, or limited access to care. Against this background, exercise has attracted increasing interest as a low-cost, accessible, and scalable adjunctive intervention, although adherence and accessibility may vary across populations. In this mini-review, we synthesize current evidence on the role of physical activity and structured exercise in the management of SAD. Available findings suggest that higher levels of physical activity are generally associated with lower social anxiety symptoms, while emerging intervention studies indicate that aerobic exercise, climbing, and group-based exercise programs may confer psychological benefit. Exercise may complement mainstream therapies through partially overlapping yet distinct pathways, including enhancement of self-efficacy, resilience, body image, and social engagement, as well as modulation of cognitive bias, neuroplasticity, and stress-related physiological processes. Potential applications in adolescents, individuals with autism spectrum disorder and comorbid social anxiety, and performance-related anxiety contexts also warrant attention. However, the current evidence base remains limited by small samples, heterogeneous interventions, insufficient long-term follow-up, and a lack of large randomized controlled trials in clinically diagnosed SAD, and much of the available evidence derives from non-clinical or subclinical populations. Overall, exercise should be considered a promising adjunct rather than a replacement for established treatments, and future research should prioritize mechanism-informed, precision-based, and implementation-oriented intervention models.
L. Lele, Yang Xin, Yong-gwan Song· Frontiers in Psychology· 0 citations