International consensus statement on the design, delivery and evaluation of sport-based interventions aimed at promoting social, psychological and physical well-being in prison.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an international consensus statement to advise on designing, delivering and evaluating sport-based interventions (SBIs) aimed at promoting social, psychological and physical well-being in prison. DESIGN: Modified Delphi using two rounds of survey questionnaires and two consensus workshops. PARTICIPANTS: A multidisciplinary panel of more than 40 experts from 15 international jurisdictions was formed, including representation from the following groups and stakeholders: professionals working in the justice system; officials from sport federations and organisations; academics with research experience of prisons, secure forensic mental health settings and SBIs; and policy-makers in criminal justice and sport. RESULTS: A core research team and advisory board developed the initial rationale, statement and survey. This survey produced qualitative data which was analysed thematically. The findings were presented at an in-person workshop. Panellists discussed the findings, and, using a modified nominal group technique, reached a consensus on objectives to be included in a revised statement. The core research team and advisory board revised the statement and recirculated it with a second survey. Findings from the second survey were discussed at a second, virtual, workshop. The core research team and advisory board further revised the consensus statement and recirculated it asking panellists for further comments. This iterative process resulted in seven final statement items; all participants have confirmed that they agreed with the content, objectives and recommendations of the final statement. CONCLUSIONS: The statement can be used to assist those that design, deliver and evaluate SBIs by providing guidance on: (1) minimum levels of competence for those designing and delivering SBIs; (2) the design and delivery of inclusive programmes prioritising disadvantaged groups; and (3) evaluation measures which are carefully calibrated both to capture proposed programme outcomes and to advance an understanding of the systems, processes and experiences of sport engagement in prison.

Effects of physical exercise on executive functions of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Executive functions are commonly impaired in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Physical exercise has the potential for improving executive functions and can be easily implemented as a therapeutic method. However, there are only few systematic reviews of exercise effects in schizophrenia including cognitive outcomes, and no meta-analytical syntheses of effects on "cool" and "hot" executive functions. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be to determine the effects of physical exercise on "cool" and "hot" executive functions of adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This protocol was guided by PRISMA-P guidelines. Studies will be searched using combinations of keywords and medical terms in the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO databases. Inclusion criteria will be determined as per PICOS approach. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane RoB2 tool. The certainty of evidence (per outcome) will be assessed using the GRADE method. The meta-analyses will be performed using the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model. Effect sizes (Hedges' g) with 95% confidence intervals will be calculated for each main outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this review may be useful for mental health professionals to design treatment plans for adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, offering potential benefits related to the quality of life and cognitive abilities of this population. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023392295.

Changes in lifestyle and physical and mental health related to long-confinement due COVID-19: a study during the first and second pandemic waves in Mexico and Chile.

We investigate changes in lifestyle, physical, and mental health during the confinement period of the first and second waves of COVID-19, as well as their relation to sociodemographic parameters and confinement status. Sociodemographic data and information regarding changes in their lifestyle behavior and changes in body weight and physical activity (PA) were collected. The SF-36 questionnaire was implemented for measuring the domains related to physical health (PH) and mental health (MH). The growth frequency of weight gain in the Mexican (4.8%) and Chilean (10.9%) populations was observed during the second wave. The MH component decreased in the Mexican and the Chilean population (p < 0.05). Moreover, the MH decreased significantly according to the degree of confinement (p < 0.01). Although some sociodemographic factors were related to the presence of a very low score (<50 scores) for the MH component during the first wave, it is perceived as a higher relative risk during the second wave in both populations. The long confinement due to COVID-19 is associated to negative changes in nutritional and physical lifestyle behavior, affecting mainly the MH component.

Efectos de una sesión de juegos reducidos basados en balonmano sobre la atención selectiva, sostenida y amplitud atencional en una muestra de adultos jóvenes / Efeitos de uma sessão de jogo pequeno baseado em handebol na atenção seletiva e sustentada e atenção em uma amostra de adultos jovens / Effects of a small-sided handball game on selective, sustained attention and attentional amplitude in a sample of young adults

Estudios previos han puesto de relieve los efectos crónicos y agudos que el ejercicio físico tiene sobre el funcionamiento cognitivo. Sin embargo, es necesario seguir profundizando para obtener información precisa sobre qué tipo de ejercicio es más favorable sobre determinadas capacidades cognitivas. Así, el objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar los efectos de una sesión de juegos reducidos basados en el balonmano sobre la atención selectiva, sostenida y amplitud atencional en una muestra de adultos jóvenes. Formaron parte de este estudio 52 participantes con edades entre 21 y 25 años (M = 21.83; DT = .94) procedentes de la ciudad de Málaga (España). Se empleó un diseño de investigación cuasiexperimental intersujetos con grupo control y experimental. Mediante análisis estadísticos no paramétricos (U Mann Whitney y Wilcoxon) se trató de explorar los efectos de la sesión de actividad físico/deportiva sobre cuatro pruebas de amplitud atencional, dos de atención selectiva y una de atención sostenida. Los resultados mostraron efectos estadísticamente significativos sobre las pruebas de atención selectiva y amplitud atencional, aunque no en la prueba de atención sostenida. Los hallazgos encontrados sugieren que la actividad físico-deportiva colectiva podría tener un efecto agudo significativo sobre la atención, aunque sería necesario seguir indagando sobre qué dimensiones específicas de la atención, dadas las diferencias encontradas entre unos parámetros y otros. (AU)

Previous studies have highlighted the chronic and acute effects that physical exercise has on cognitive functioning. However, it is necessary to go deeper in order to obtain precise information on what typeof exercise is more favorable for certain cognitive abilities. Thus, the objective of this work was to analyze the effects of a session of small games based on handball on selective, sustained attention and attention span in a sample of young adults. Fifty-two participants between the ages of 21 and 25 (M= 21.83; SD= .94) from the city of Malaga (Spain) took part in this study. A quasi-experimental intersubject's research design was used with a control and experimental group. Using non-parametric statistical analyzes (U Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon) we tried to explore the effects of the physical/sports activity session on four tests of attention span, two of selective attention and one of sustained attention. The results showed statistically significant effects on the selective tests and attention span, although not on the sustained attention test. The findings suggest that collective physical-sporting activity could have a significant acute effect on attention, although it would be necessary to continue investigating the specific dimensions of attention, given the differences found between some parameters and others. (AU)

Estudos anteriores destacaram os efeitos crônicos e agudos que o exercício físico tem no funcionamento cognitivo. No entanto, é necessário aprofundar este conhecimento para obter informações mais precisas sobre qual tipo de exercício mais favorável para determinadas habilidades cognitivas. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar os efeitos de uma sessão de pequenos jogos baseados no andebol na atenção seletiva, sustentada e capacidade de atenção numa amostra de adultos jovens. Cinquenta e dois participantes com idades compreendidas entre 21 e 25 anos (M= 21,83; DP= ,94)da cidade de Málaga (Espanha) participaram deste estudo. Um projeto de pesquisa intersujeitos quase-experimental foi usado com um grupo de controlo e experimental. Através de análises estatísticas não paramétricas (U Mann Whitney e Wilcoxon) procurámos explorar os efeitos da sessão de atividade física/desportiva em quatro testes de capacidade de atenção, dois de atenção seletiva e um de atenção sustentada. Os resultados evidenciaram diferenças estatisticamente significativos nos testes de atenção e seletivos, mas não no teste de atenção sustentada. Os resultadosencontrados sugerem que a atividade físico-desportiva coletiva pode ter um efeito agudo significativo na atenção, embora seja necessário continuar a investigar as dimensões específicas da atenção, dadas as diferenças encontradas entre alguns parâmetros. (AU)

Pharmacological treatment for challenging behavior in adults with intellectual disability: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Few evidence on the use of antipsychotics in people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors, generates the need to develop studies that contribute to collect, compare and synthesize the available information. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine the clinical efficacy of antipsychotic medication in reducing critical episodes in this population. METHODS: We searched Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, Embase, and PubMed for randomized controlled trials of antipsychotic medication versus placebo. Preliminarily yielded 1354 abstracts and citations; six studies with 274 subjects met the inclusion criteria of studies with experimental design, longitudinal type, with pre- and post-intervention measurements. RESULTS: There is evidence for the use of psychotropic drugs in the acute management of challenging behaviors in patients with intellectual disability (SMD=-0.85; 95% CI=-1.69 to -0.01; p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results coincide with the recommendations on the efficacy of the use of antipsychotics. Although our study provides evidence, the limited number of studies included in this research does not allow us to obtain totally conclusive results, although it can be considered as a guide for future studies.

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

Executive function is among the most affected cognitive dimensions in depression. Physical exercise may improve executive function (e.g., working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility), although this is without consensus on adults with depression. Through this systematic review, we aim to elucidate the effects of physical exercise programs on executive functions in adults with depression. The literature search was performed in four relevant electronic databases, combining keywords and medical subject headings, from inception until September 2022. Controlled interventions, involving adults with depression, and reporting working memory, inhibition, and/or cognitive flexibility pre-post-intervention data, were considered includable. Results from meta-analyses included effect size (ES, i.e., Hedges' g) values reported with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs), with p set at ≤0.05. Seven studies were included, including 202 men and 457 women (age: 21.0-51.2 years; mild-moderate depression). For working memory, a small favoring effect was observed in the experimental groups compared with controls (ES = 0.33, 95%CI = 0.04-0.61; p = 0.026; I2 = 64.9%). For inhibition, physical exercise had a small favoring non-significant effect compared with controls (ES = 0.28, 95%CI = -0.17-0.74; p = 0.222; I2 = 72.4%). Compared with the control group, physical exercise had a trivial effect on cognitive flexibility (ES = 0.09, 95%CI = -0.21-0.39; p = 0.554; I2 = 68.4%). In conclusion, physical exercise interventions may improve working memory behavioral measures in adults with mild-to-moderate depression when compared with active and passive control conditions. However, the reduced number of available high-quality studies precludes more lucid conclusions.

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

Exercise programs of moderate-to-vigorous intensity have been shown to improve the cognitive performance of older people. However, the specific effects of sports-based exercise programs on cognitive performance, particularly executive functions, remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of sports-based exercise programs on executive functions in older adults using a systematic review and meta-analysis of the scientific literature. A systematic review was conducted between 1 March and 1 July 2022, to look for published scientific evidence that analyzed different sports programs that may have affected executive function in healthy older adults. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on healthy older adults, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of nine studies with a total of 398 subjects met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model was performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. In terms of working memory, a small but positive significant effect was noted for the intervention group compared to the control group (effect size (ES) = 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.04-0.67; p = 0.029; I2 = 36.7%); in terms of inhibition, the intervention had a small favoring but no significant effect compared to the control group (ES = 0.20, 95% CI = -0.42-0.84; p = 0.517; I2 = 78.8%); and in terms of cognitive flexibility, the intervention had a small favoring but no significant effect compared to the control group (ES = 0.39, 95% CI = -0.11-0.89; p = 0.131; I2 = 75.5%). Our findings suggest that healthy older adults should be encouraged to participate in sports to improve their working memory; however, more studies are required in this area to reach more robust conclusions. This systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number: CRD42022284788).

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

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 the Type of Sports Practice on the Executive Functions of Schoolchildren.

There is a close relationship between the development of complex motor skills and executive functions during childhood. This study aimed to analyze the differences in different dimensions of executive functions in children practicing an open-skill sport (handball) and a closed-skill sport (athletics) and controls who did not participate in sports activities after a 12-week intervention period. School-aged male and female subjects (n = 90; mean ± standard deviation = 11.45 ± 0.68 years) participated in a non-randomized controlled study. Data analysis was performed using the STATA V.15 statistical software. The athletics intervention promoted semantic fluency (p = 0.007), whereas handball increased inhibition (p = 0.034). Additionally, physical activity improved in both intervention groups (p = < 0.001), whereas sprint performance improved in the handball group following intervention (p = 0.008), lower body muscular power improved in athletics (p = 0.04), and evidence of improvement in upper body muscular strength was noted in handball (p = 0.037). In turn, an increase in the Physical Activity Questionnaire for older Children score showed an association with the Standard Ten scores of executive functions. In conclusion, compared to controls, both athletics and handball induced meaningful improvements in physical activity and executive functions. However, sport-specific adaptations were noted after athletics (i.e., semantic fluency and lower body muscular power) and handball (i.e., inhibition, sprint, and upper-body muscular strength).

Anthropometric Parameters, Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Executive Functions among Primary School Children.

Physical activity during childhood and adolescence favors brain development and cognitive functioning, particularly the executive functions. This study aimed to assess potential associations between anthropometric parameters, physical activity, physical fitness, and executive functions among elementary school children returning to school after the COVID-19 lockdown in Chile. School-age male and female participants (n = 90; age, 10−12 years) participated in the study. To determine the association between variables, a multivariable linear regression analysis was performed. Higher fat-related anthropometric indexes were associated with lower working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning, and attention (r = −0.55 to −0.22; p = 0.031 to <0.001). In contrast, higher physical activity levels, better sprint performance, higher lower-body muscular power, and greater upper-body muscular strength were associated with better working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, planning, and/or attention (r = 0.19 to −0.54; p = 0.04 to <0.001). Current results consistently suggest the need for adequate levels of physical activity, physical fitness, and anthropometric parameters among the school-age population to promote healthy and adequate executive functions.

Effects of Sport-Based Interventions on Children's Executive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

One of the most studied aspects of children's cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES -1.25; 95% CI -1.70; -0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES -1.30; 95% CI -1.98; -0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES -1.52; 95% CI -2.20; -0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.