Abstract
This study examined the effects of an 11-week aerobic exercise intervention on executive function (EF) and white matter integrity (WMI). In total, 28 deaf children (aged 9–13 years) were randomly assigned to either an 11-week exercise intervention or the control group. All the children had behavioral assessment and diffusion tensor imaging prior to and following the exercise intervention. The behavioral performance results demonstrated that EF was enhanced by exercise. Relative to the control group, WMI of the exercise intervention group showed (1) lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the pontine crossing tract (PCT) and right cingulum (hippocampus) (CH), genu of the corpus callosum (gCC), right inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP), left superior corona radiata (SCR), and left superior frontooccipital fasciculus (SFOF); (2) higher mean diffusivity (MD) in the gCC, right CH, right inferior frontooccipital fasciculus (IFOF), and left anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC); and (3) lower MD in the left ICP and left tapetum (TAP). Furthermore, the lower FA in gCC showed a significant negative correlation with improvement in behavioral performance, but the correlation was not significant after FDR correction. These results suggest that exercise can effectively improve deaf children's EF and reshape the WMI in deaf children. The improved EF by exercise is not related to a reshaping of WMI, but more studies on the relationship between EF and WMI by exercise may be needed.
Highlights
Executive function (EF), including inhibition, working memory, and shifting, refers to higher and meta-levels of cognitive processes that regulate and organize purposeful and goaldirected behaviors [1, 2] and is at the core of children’s cognition, emotion, and social function, playing an important role in the development of children’s mental health [3, 4]
We found a significant negative correlation between white matter integrity (WMI) and behavioral performance, wherein a decrease in WMI in the genu of the corpus callosum (gCC) was associated with a lessening in inhibition for deaf children in the exercise intervention group (Flanker task, pretest to posttest) and reaction time (r = −0 67, P = 0 03 < 0 05); there was no significant correlation after correction for multiple comparisons (FDR, P < 0 05)
Our results found higher WMI in the left inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP) and left TAP after exercising, while WMI was reduced in the pontine crossing tract (PCT), right CH, right ICP, and left superior frontooccipital fasciculus (SFOF)
Summary
Executive function (EF), including inhibition, working memory, and shifting, refers to higher and meta-levels of cognitive processes that regulate and organize purposeful and goaldirected behaviors [1, 2] and is at the core of children’s cognition, emotion, and social function, playing an important role in the development of children’s mental health [3, 4]. Another study of deaf children found positive effects on working memory and shifting of executive function in preadolescent deaf children after an 8-week moderate skipping training program [13]. It remains unclear whether the neural basis of improvement in deaf children’s EF is elicited by exercise intervention
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
