Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers
This study investigated the relationship between six-minute walking test (6MWT) distance walked and preschool-aged children’s academic abilities, and behavioral and event-related potentials (ERP) indices of cognitive control. There were 59 children (25 females; age: 5.0 ± 0.6 years) who completed a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/4/584 |
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| author | Shelby A. Keye Anne M. Walk Corinne N. Cannavale Samantha Iwinski Gabriella M. McLoughlin Linda G. Steinberg Naiman A. Khan |
| author_facet | Shelby A. Keye Anne M. Walk Corinne N. Cannavale Samantha Iwinski Gabriella M. McLoughlin Linda G. Steinberg Naiman A. Khan |
| author_sort | Shelby A. Keye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigated the relationship between six-minute walking test (6MWT) distance walked and preschool-aged children’s academic abilities, and behavioral and event-related potentials (ERP) indices of cognitive control. There were 59 children (25 females; age: 5.0 ± 0.6 years) who completed a 6MWT (mean distance: 449.6 ± 82.0 m) to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness. The Woodcock Johnson Early Cognitive and Academic Development Test evaluated academic abilities. A modified Eriksen flanker, hearts and flowers task, and auditory oddball task eliciting ERPs (N2, P3) assessed cognitive control. After adjusting for adiposity, diet, and demographics, linear regressions resulted in positive relationships between 6MWT distance and General Intellectual Ability (β = 0.25, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.04, <i>p</i> = 0.04) and Expressive Language (β = 0.30, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.13, <i>p</i> = 0.02). 6MWT distance was positively correlated with congruent accuracy (β = 0.29, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.18, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and negatively with incongruent reaction time (β = −0.26, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.05, <i>p</i> = 0.04) during the flanker task, and positively with homogeneous (β = 0.23, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.21, <i>p</i> = 0.04) and heterogeneous (β = 0.26, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.40, <i>p</i> = 0.02) accuracy on the hearts and flowers task. Higher fit children showed faster N2 latencies and greater P3 amplitudes to target stimuli; however, these were at the trend level following the adjustment of covariates. These findings indicate that the positive influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive function is evident in 4–6-year-olds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:41:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca584f62c4dc4cbbbca41a3d875462a8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:41:35Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca584f62c4dc4cbbbca41a3d875462a82023-12-03T12:24:34ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832021-02-0110458410.3390/jcm10040584Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in PreschoolersShelby A. Keye0Anne M. Walk1Corinne N. Cannavale2Samantha Iwinski3Gabriella M. McLoughlin4Linda G. Steinberg5Naiman A. Khan6Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Psychology, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920, USANeuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USAImplementation Science Center for Cancer Control and Prevention Research Center, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USAThis study investigated the relationship between six-minute walking test (6MWT) distance walked and preschool-aged children’s academic abilities, and behavioral and event-related potentials (ERP) indices of cognitive control. There were 59 children (25 females; age: 5.0 ± 0.6 years) who completed a 6MWT (mean distance: 449.6 ± 82.0 m) to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness. The Woodcock Johnson Early Cognitive and Academic Development Test evaluated academic abilities. A modified Eriksen flanker, hearts and flowers task, and auditory oddball task eliciting ERPs (N2, P3) assessed cognitive control. After adjusting for adiposity, diet, and demographics, linear regressions resulted in positive relationships between 6MWT distance and General Intellectual Ability (β = 0.25, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.04, <i>p</i> = 0.04) and Expressive Language (β = 0.30, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.13, <i>p</i> = 0.02). 6MWT distance was positively correlated with congruent accuracy (β = 0.29, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.18, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and negatively with incongruent reaction time (β = −0.26, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.05, <i>p</i> = 0.04) during the flanker task, and positively with homogeneous (β = 0.23, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.21, <i>p</i> = 0.04) and heterogeneous (β = 0.26, Adj R<sup>2</sup> = 0.40, <i>p</i> = 0.02) accuracy on the hearts and flowers task. Higher fit children showed faster N2 latencies and greater P3 amplitudes to target stimuli; however, these were at the trend level following the adjustment of covariates. These findings indicate that the positive influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive function is evident in 4–6-year-olds.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/4/584cardiorespiratory fitnesschildrenacademic achievementexecutive functionevent-related potentials |
| spellingShingle | Shelby A. Keye Anne M. Walk Corinne N. Cannavale Samantha Iwinski Gabriella M. McLoughlin Linda G. Steinberg Naiman A. Khan Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers Journal of Clinical Medicine cardiorespiratory fitness children academic achievement executive function event-related potentials |
| title | Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers |
| title_full | Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers |
| title_fullStr | Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers |
| title_short | Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers |
| title_sort | six minute walking test performance relates to neurocognitive abilities in preschoolers |
| topic | cardiorespiratory fitness children academic achievement executive function event-related potentials |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/4/584 |
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