Are there sensitive periods for physical activity to influence the development of executive function in children?

Abstract

• This review explores the potential of sensitive periods in preadolescent development of executive functions, suggesting that these windows may allow for the alignment of physical activity interventions with the underlying processes of neural development. • If sensitive periods exist where neural plasticity is heightened, they represent critical times during development when physical activity—or the lack thereof—could have significant and lasting effects on executive function. • Future research should adopt a multidisciplinary approach, examining the complex interactions between the timing and nature of physical activity exposure, its effects on neural plasticity mechanisms, and the resulting behavioral outcomes. Executive functions emerge throughout childhood and shape multiple cognitive and behavioral outcomes across the lifespan. Given the importance of these functions, there is considerable interest in understanding the role of environmental enrichment to support their development. The past 20 years have seen the emergence of a body of evidence around the beneficial effects of engaging in physical activity for executive functioning in children. Despite this, there are still unanswered questions, particularly about the confounding effects of the timing and dose of exercise-based interventions. During development, sensitive periods with heightened neural plasticity and sensitivity to environmental influences can offer an optimal time to introduce enrichment interventions. As such, sensitive periods for executive function could indicate an ideal time to introduce physical activity or be a potential confounder to study results if not considered. This narrative review discusses the potential presence of sensitive periods in preadolescent development where physical activity has greater benefits for executive function. Initially, we briefly review the largely parallel fields investigating the presence of sensitive periods for executive function and the effects of physical activity on executive function outcomes. We then bring together these 2 concepts to discuss the theoretical basis for developmentally sensitive periods during which children may be particularly amenable to physical activity-based interventions and offer potential ways forward to investigate this phenomenon. We hope this review will attract researchers to collaborate in the area and extend our current understanding of the development of executive functions as well as interventions like physical activity.

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