Effects of Sport-Based Interventions on Executive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol

Abstract

Background: Moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise programs have proven to exert positive effects on the cognitive performance of older people. However, the specific effects sport-based exercise programs have on cognitive performance, upon executive functions, remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of sport-based exercise programs on executive functions in older adults, through a systematic review protocol of the scientific literature, with a meta-analysis. Methods: The search was performed in the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO electronic databases by combining keywords and different medical subject headings (MeSH) to identify and evaluate the relevant studies from inception up until June 2022. This study considers longitudinal studies with at least one experimental group and pre- and post-intervention measurements involving healthy older adults of 60 years of age or older. Studies have to consider one or more measures of executive function, including dimensions of working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility, in order to meet the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this report. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale was used for methodological quality assessment studies. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model was used to compute the meta-analyses and report effect sizes (ES, i.e., Hedges’ g) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and a statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. The ES values were calculated for executive function globally and for each dimension of executive function (e.g., working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility) in the experimental and control/comparator groups using the mean and standard deviation values before and after the intervention period. Conclusions: Our systematic review aims to clarify the effects of sport-based exercise programs on executive functions in older adults. The results may help practitioners and stakeholders to provide better evidence-based decisions regarding sport-based exercise program implementation for older adults, and to help them to optimize cognitive functions during the aging process. Ethical permission is not required for this study. Systematic review registration: this systematic review is registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number: CRD42022284788).

Effects of Physical Exercise on Executive Function in Adults with Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The means and standard deviation values of the dependent variables were extracted before and after the exercise interventions of the studies included using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, USA). Two authors (FCO and CCJ) extracted data independently, and any discrepancies between the authors (e.g., mean value for a given outcome, number of participants in a group) were resolved by consensus with a third author (RRC) [ 57 ].…”

“…The methodological quality of the studies included was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, as had been accomplished previously [ 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. The methodological quality of the studies was construed using the following convention [ 61 , 62 , 63 ]: ≤3 points “poor” quality, 4–5 points “moderate” quality, and 6–10 points “high” quality.…”

“…The meta-analyses were performed following previous instructions [ 57 ]. In short, meta-analysis was only conducted when ≥3 studies were available [ 64 , 65 ].…”

A community‐based modified sport program for rural community‐dwelling older adults: A pilot study

“…11 Participation in modified sports has been shown to promote positive changes in both physical [12][13][14][15][16] and cognitive health in older adults. 13,17,18 Recently, a 12-week walking soccer intervention yielded significant improvements in muscle strength and power in older adults. 19 Participation in modified sports has also been found to offer a positive social health benefit for older adults, fostering a sense of community that encourages continued participation and, consequently, greater health benefits.…”

“…20 However, there is limited research investigating community-based modified sport within the rural setting. These studies 12,13,15,[17][18][19] exploring modified sport have primarily been conducted in metropolitan settings, thus transferability to rural settings where access, opportunity, facilities and expertise may differ is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the factors influencing participation in a modified sport program for community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or over who live in a rural community and assess their satisfaction with a pilotmodified sport program informed by these findings.…”