Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate associations between motor skills, exercise capacity and cognitive functions, and evaluate how they correlate to academic performance in mathematics and reading comprehension using standardised, objective tests.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 423 Danish children (age: 9.29±0.35 years, 209 girls). Fine and gross motor skills were evaluated in a visuomotor accuracy-tracking task, and a whole-body coordination task, respectively. Exercise capacity was estimated from the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 children's test (YYIR1C). Selected tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) were used to assess different domains of cognitive functions, including sustained attention, spatial working memory, episodic and semantic memory, and processing speed. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate associations between these measures and the relationship with standard tests of academic performance in mathematics and reading comprehension.ResultsBoth fine and gross motor skills were associated with better performance in all five tested cognitive domains (all P<0.001), whereas exercise capacity was only associated with better sustained attention (P<0.046) and spatial working memory (P<0.038). Fine and gross motor skills (all P<0.001), exercise capacity and cognitive functions such as working memory, episodic memory, sustained attention and processing speed were all associated with better performance in mathematics and reading comprehension.ConclusionsThe data demonstrate that fine and gross motor skills are positively correlated with several aspects of cognitive functions and with academic performance in both mathematics and reading comprehension. Moreover, exercise capacity was associated with academic performance and performance in some cognitive domains. Future interventions should investigate associations between changes in motor skills, exercise capacity, cognitive functions, and academic performance to elucidate the causality of these associations.
Highlights
The association between physical activity, cognition, and academic achievement in children has received great focus in recent years [1,2,3,4,5]
Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate associations between these measures and the relationship with standard tests of academic performance in mathematics and reading comprehension. Both fine and gross motor skills were associated with better performance in all five tested cognitive domains, whereas exercise capacity was only associated with better sustained attention (P
The data demonstrate that fine and gross motor skills are positively correlated with several aspects of cognitive functions and with academic performance in both mathematics and reading comprehension
Summary
The association between physical activity, cognition, and academic achievement in children has received great focus in recent years [1,2,3,4,5]. Whereas previous studies have found positive associations between aerobic fitness and performance in cognitive or academic tests, recent studies have documented positive associations between motor functions and academic achievement. These findings underpin a potential positive role of physical activity in children and indicate that development of motor skills is positively related to scholastic learning. While studies on aerobic fitness in children found positive associations with performance in cognitive tests and academic performance, the relationship between motor skills and cognitive functions in schoolchildren remains less well investigated. To our knowledge no study has previously focused on simultaneous assessment of motor functions, exercise capacity, cognitive functions and academic performance in the same cohort of children and it is the aim of the present study to a) investigate the potential associations between motor skills and cognitive functions and b) to detail the knowledge on associations between motor skills, exercise capacity, cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children
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