An ALE meta-analysis on the effects of neural changes due to exercise on executive function in a healthy population

Executive function plays an important role throughout an individual's life, and current research has shown that physical activity is an effective way to promote the development of executive function. Further research into the mechanisms in the brain that promote executive function has focused on populations with diseases, and no consistent conclusions have been drawn for healthy populations. Moreover, the differential effects of different exercise doses and sample characteristics on executive function brain activation remain unclear. In this study, we used an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis integrating 20 task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies to investigate the mechanisms in the brain underlying the effects of different exercise interventions on executive functions in healthy populations. The results showed that exercise interventions significantly altered brain activation patterns during cognitive tasks, particularly in the frontal, precuneus, thalamus and cingulate regions. We examined exercise interventions in various sub-groups, showing patterns of effects in different age groups, exercise types and exercise durations.