Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children

Svend Sparre Geertsen; Richard Thomas; Malte Nejst Larsen; Ida Marie Dahn; Josefine Needham Andersen; Matilde Krause-Jensen; Vibeke Korup; Claus Malta Nielsen; Jacob Wienecke; Christian Ritz; Peter Krustrup; Jesper Lundbye-Jensen

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161960

Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children

Svend Sparre Geertsen, Richard Thomas, Malte Nejst Larsen, Ida Marie Dahn, Josefine Needham Andersen, Matilde Krause-Jensen, Vibeke Korup, Claus Malta Nielsen, Jacob Wienecke, Christian Ritz, Peter Krustrup, Jesper Lundbye-Jensen

41 Citations (Scopus)

165 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objective: To 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. Methods: This 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. Results: Both 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. Conclusions: 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. 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.

Original language	English
Article number	e0161960
Journal	P L o S One
Volume	11
Issue number	8
Number of pages	16
ISSN	1932-6203
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161960
Publication status	Published - Aug 2016

Access to Document

10.1371/journal.pone.0161960Licence: CC BY

Geertsen et al_P L o S ONE_2016_Vol 11(8)_e0161960Final published version, 821 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Geertsen, S. S., Thomas, R., Larsen, M. N., Dahn, I. M., Andersen, J. N., Krause-Jensen, M., Korup, V., Nielsen, C. M., Wienecke, J., Ritz, C., Krustrup, P., & Lundbye-Jensen, J. (2016). Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children. P L o S One, 11(8), Article e0161960. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161960

Geertsen, SS, Thomas, R, Larsen, MN, Dahn, IM, Andersen, JN, Krause-Jensen, M, Korup, V, Nielsen, CM, Wienecke, J, Ritz, C, Krustrup, P & Lundbye-Jensen, J 2016, 'Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children', P L o S One, vol. 11, no. 8, e0161960. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161960

@article{6daf71e25ac541ad972e4585b0dd5391,

title = "Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children",

abstract = "Objective: To 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. Methods: This 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. Results: Both 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. Conclusions: 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. 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.",

author = "Geertsen, {Svend Sparre} and Richard Thomas and Larsen, {Malte Nejst} and Dahn, {Ida Marie} and Andersen, {Josefine Needham} and Matilde Krause-Jensen and Vibeke Korup and Nielsen, {Claus Malta} and Jacob Wienecke and Christian Ritz and Peter Krustrup and Jesper Lundbye-Jensen",

note = "CURIS 2016 NEXS 240",

year = "2016",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1371/journal.pone.0161960",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

journal = "P L o S One",

issn = "1932-6203",

publisher = "Public Library of Science",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children

AU - Geertsen, Svend Sparre

AU - Thomas, Richard

AU - Larsen, Malte Nejst

AU - Dahn, Ida Marie

AU - Andersen, Josefine Needham

AU - Krause-Jensen, Matilde

AU - Korup, Vibeke

AU - Nielsen, Claus Malta

AU - Wienecke, Jacob

AU - Ritz, Christian

AU - Krustrup, Peter

AU - Lundbye-Jensen, Jesper

N1 - CURIS 2016 NEXS 240

PY - 2016/8

Y1 - 2016/8

N2 - Objective: To 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. Methods: This 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. Results: Both 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. Conclusions: 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. 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.

AB - Objective: To 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. Methods: This 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. Results: Both 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. Conclusions: 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. 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.

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0161960

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0161960

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27560512

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 11

JO - P L o S One

JF - P L o S One

IS - 8

M1 - e0161960

ER -

Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this