The Effects of Gymnastics Programs with Different Cognitive Loads on Working Memory and Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the effects of gymnastics programs with high versus low cognitive load on children's visuospatial working memory (VSWM) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation. Eighty-one healthy children 7 to 10 yr of age from Taipei City were randomly assigned to high cognitive load (HG), low cognitive load (LG), and control (SC) groups. The HG and the LG groups underwent an 8-wk gymnastics program with different levels of cognitive load, whereas the SC group participated in a static course. Pre- and postintervention assessments included VSWM tests and simultaneous monitoring of PFC oxyhemoglobin (HbO) concentration. The results showed time-related improvements in response accuracy and d -prime ( d ') from the pretest to posttest for both the HG and the LG groups but not for the SC group. Additionally, the HG group demonstrated higher response accuracy and d ' compared with the SC group at the posttest. Although VSWM-related HbO concentration was higher during task conditions requiring higher WM load compared with low WM load, no intervention effect was found. Further correlation analysis controlling for intervention-related fitness changes revealed positive associations between time-related changes in VSWM performance (response accuracy and d ') and HbO concentration across all participants, with a similar correlation between response accuracy and HbO remaining specifically in the HG group but not in other groups. These findings suggest that an 8-wk gymnastics program can enhance VSWM performance and such cognitive benefits may be maximized by incorporating higher cognitive loads into the intervention. Despite the positive correlations between time-related changes in PFC oxygenation and VSWM performance, the gymnastics programs did not alter task-related PFC oxygenation, suggesting that intervention-induced VSWM improvement may not be solely dependent on changes in task-related PFC oxygenation.