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Study protocol and rationale of the “Cogni-action project” a cross-sectional and randomized controlled trial about physical activity, brain health, cognition, and educational achievement in schoolchildren
Journal
BMC Pediatrics
ISSN
1471-2431
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Patricio Solis-Urra
Jorge Olivares-Arancibia
Ernesto Suarez-Cadenas
Javier Sanchez-Martinez
Fernando Rodríguez-Rodríguez
Francisco B. Ortega
Irene Esteban-Cornejo
Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez
Jose Castro-Piñero
Alejandro Veloz
Steren Chabert
Kabir P. Sadarangani
Juan Pablo Zavala-Crichton
Jairo H. Migueles
Jose Mora-Gonzalez
Milton Quiroz-Escobar
Diego Almonte-Espinoza
Alfonso Urzúa
Constantino D. Dragicevic
Aland Astudillo
Eduardo Méndez-Gassibe
Daniel Riquelme-uribe
Marcela Jarpa Azagra
Carlos Cristi-Montero
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-019-1639-8
Abstract
Background: Education and health are crucial topics for public policies as both largely determine the future
wellbeing of the society. Currently, several studies recognize that physical activity (PA) benefits brain health
in children. However, most of these studies have not been carried out in developing countries or lack the
transference into the education field. The Cogni-Action Project is divided into two stages, a cross-sectional
study and a crossover-randomized trial. The aim of the first part is to establish the associations of PA,
sedentarism, and physical fitness with brain structure and function, cognitive performance and academic
achievement in Chilean schoolchildren (10–14 years-old). The aim of the second part is to determinate the
acute effects of three PA protocols on neuroelectric indices during a working memory and a reading task.
Methods: PA and sedentarism will be self-reported and objectively-assessed with accelerometers in a representative
subsample, whilst physical fitness will be evaluated through the ALPHA fitness test battery. Brain structure and function
will be assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a randomized subsample. Cognitive performance will be
assessed through the NeuroCognitive Performance Test, and academic achievement by school grades. In the second part
32 adolescents (12–13 year-old) will be cross-over randomized to these condition (i) “Moderate-Intensity Continuous
Training” (MICT), (ii) “Cooperative High-Intensity Interval Training” (C-HIIT), and (iii) Sedentary condition. Neuroelectric
indices will be measures by electroencephalogram (EEG) and eye-tracking, working memory by n-back task and reading
comprehension by a reading task. Discussion: The main strength of this project is that, to our knowledge, this is the first study analysing the potential
association of PA, sedentarism, and physical fitness on brain structure and function, cognitive performance, and academic
achievement in a developing country, which presents an important sociocultural gap. For this purpose, this project will
use advanced technologies in neuroimaging (MRI), electrophysiology (EEG), and eye-tracking, as well as objective and
quality measurements of several physical and cognitive health outcomes.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03894241 Date of register: March 28, 2019. Retrospectively Registered
wellbeing of the society. Currently, several studies recognize that physical activity (PA) benefits brain health
in children. However, most of these studies have not been carried out in developing countries or lack the
transference into the education field. The Cogni-Action Project is divided into two stages, a cross-sectional
study and a crossover-randomized trial. The aim of the first part is to establish the associations of PA,
sedentarism, and physical fitness with brain structure and function, cognitive performance and academic
achievement in Chilean schoolchildren (10–14 years-old). The aim of the second part is to determinate the
acute effects of three PA protocols on neuroelectric indices during a working memory and a reading task.
Methods: PA and sedentarism will be self-reported and objectively-assessed with accelerometers in a representative
subsample, whilst physical fitness will be evaluated through the ALPHA fitness test battery. Brain structure and function
will be assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a randomized subsample. Cognitive performance will be
assessed through the NeuroCognitive Performance Test, and academic achievement by school grades. In the second part
32 adolescents (12–13 year-old) will be cross-over randomized to these condition (i) “Moderate-Intensity Continuous
Training” (MICT), (ii) “Cooperative High-Intensity Interval Training” (C-HIIT), and (iii) Sedentary condition. Neuroelectric
indices will be measures by electroencephalogram (EEG) and eye-tracking, working memory by n-back task and reading
comprehension by a reading task. Discussion: The main strength of this project is that, to our knowledge, this is the first study analysing the potential
association of PA, sedentarism, and physical fitness on brain structure and function, cognitive performance, and academic
achievement in a developing country, which presents an important sociocultural gap. For this purpose, this project will
use advanced technologies in neuroimaging (MRI), electrophysiology (EEG), and eye-tracking, as well as objective and
quality measurements of several physical and cognitive health outcomes.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03894241 Date of register: March 28, 2019. Retrospectively Registered
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