Functional Brain Responses to Short-Duration Light Physical Activity in Children: Insights From Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Abstract

Light-intensity physical activity (LPA) (a low level of effort with a slight increase in heart rate and breathing) supports children's cognitive development, particularly in brain regions responsible for attention and executive functions. This study investigated the effects of short-term LPA on prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Thirty-three children aged 10 to 14 years completed seated, light-intensity exercises involving coordination and balance. Hemodynamic changes in oxygenated hemoglobin were recorded in three subregions of the PFC. A significant increase was observed during complex tasks, with mean Z-score changes of 0.68 in the middle PFC and 0.87 in the left PFC (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between 10- and 20-s durations, suggesting that movement complexity - rather than duration - determines neural activation. These findings indicate that short, structured light-intensity motor tasks elicit measurable prefrontal cortex activation in children. Incorporating brief bouts of light-intensity physical activity into the school day may promote neural engagement of prefrontal regions, although future studies are needed to directly link these neural responses to cognitive performance.