Trial reportBMC public health2024
Short, frequent physical activity breaks improve working memory while preserving cerebral blood flow in adolescents during prolonged sitting - AbbaH teen, a randomized crossover trial.
Trial report in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04552626 (Acute Effects From Prolonged Inactivity and Physical Activity Interventions on Cortical Blood Flow and Arterials Stiffness in School-aged Adolescents.), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Acute Effects From Prolonged Inactivity and Physical Activity Interventions on Cortical Blood Flow and Arterials Stiffness in School-aged Adolescents.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effects of active breaks on attention and executive function in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- Acute cognitive effects of interruptions to prolonged sitting with brief standing or physical activity breaks: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of breaking up prolonged sitting with physical activity on executive function: a three-level meta-analysis.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026Pooled it
- Acute effects of physical activity breaking up sedentary behavior on cognitive function, biological mechanisms, and practical recommendations: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Classroom Active Breaks Effects on Attention and Concentration Performance Among Adolescents Attending Upper Secondary Schools in Southern Italy.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Effects of a Video-Guided Active Break Programme on the Self-Esteem and Socio-Emotional Well-Being of Schoolchildren with Special Educational Needs: Active Classes Project.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The relationship between physical activity, working memory, and mathematics achievement on the basis of socioeconomic status: the mediating role of physical fitness level.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2026Article
- Acute 3.5-minute light-intensity exercise enhances executive function and psychological mood in children.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Effects of Video-Guided Active Breaks on Motor Competence of Schoolchildren with Special Education Needs.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Association between 24-hour movement guidelines and working memory in early Chinese adolescents.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposePhysical activity (PA) breaks during school lessons have been suggested as a promising strategy to improve working memory performance in children and adolescents. There is a lack of studies investigating the underlying physiological mechanisms of PA on cognition, especially among adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different types of short frequent PA on adolescents' cognitive task-related changes in cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and working memory performance compared to prolonged sitting.
methodsIn this randomized crossover study, adolescents visited the laboratory on three different occasions for 80-minute sessions of prolonged sitting interrupted by four breaks for three minutes of simple resistance training (SRA), step-up at a pre-determined pace (STEP), or remaining seated (SOCIAL). Before and after each session, cognitive task-related changes in cerebral blood flow (oxygenated-hemoglobin, Oxy-Hb) during working memory tasks (1-, 2-, 3-back tests) were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in the PFC. Accuracy and reaction time were derived from the working memory tasks. Linear mixed-effect models were used to analyze the data.
resultsA total of 17 students participated (mean age 13.6 years, 11 girls). Significant time x condition interactions were noted for Oxy-Hb in the most demanding working memory task (3-back), with a decrease following prolonged sitting in the SOCIAL condition compared to both the SRA (β 0.18, 95% CI 0.12, 0.24) and the STEP (β 0.11, 95% CI 0.05, 0.17). This was observed in parallel with improvements in reaction time following SRA (β -30.11, 95% CI -59.08, -1.13) and STEP (β -34.29, 95% CI -69.22, 0.63) although this was only significant for the SRA and no improvements in the SOCIAL condition.
conclusionWe found that short frequent PA breaks during prolonged sitting among adolescents can prevent the decrease in cognitive task-related changes in cerebral blood flow that occur following prolonged sitting. This was observed simultaneously with improvements in working memory, indicating that changes in cerebral blood flow could be one factor explaining the effects on working memory. Future studies should investigate the efficacy of implementing these PA breaks in schools.
trial registrationRetrospectively registered on 21/09/2020, ClinicalTrial (NCT04552626).
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.