(PS4-7) Open-skill Sports, Executive Functioning, and EEG in Early Adolescence

Abstract Text: Embodied cognition theory suggests that cognitive processes are shaped by the body’s interactions with the environment (Gibbs, 2005). ADHD, a common neurodevelopmental disorder, is linked to impaired executive functioning (EF), affecting academic performance. Physical activity (PA) has been shown to improve EF. Open-skill sports (e.g., basketball, soccer) requiring dynamic decision-making are hypothesized to enhance EF, while closed-skill sports (e.g., running, swimming), involving repetitive movements in predictable settings, are thought to be less influential (Ludyga et al., 2022; Becker et al., 2018).
EEG studies of activity during EF tasks highlight key brain regions invloved including the prefrontal cortex, across the alpha frequency band (Arabi, 2023; Casey, 1997). Smaller EEG resting-to-task changes correlate with better EF performance (Allison & Broomell, 2024; Zhang et al., 2018, 2019).
This study examines how frequent participation in open-skill sports impacts EF and task related EEG changes at alpha frequencies (8-12 Hz) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). We hypothesized that greater engagement in open-skill sports (IV) predicts better EF, measured by errors (DV) on the WCST, reflecting set-shifting ability. We propose that this relationship depends on alpha frequency, with higher participation linked to fewer errors in children with high alpha, while engagement in open sports will be unrelated to errors for those with low alpha.
Participants (n=28; ages 11-14; 62% boys) were recruited from a charter middle school affiliated with Western Carolina University. They completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) to measure open-skilled sports participation and the WCST to assess EF. EEG was recorded at baseline and during WCST participation. A structural equation model (SEM) using the maximum likelihood with missing values (MLMV) method examined the regression of open sports engagement and EEG power on WCST errors. Power in the 8-12Hz frequency band from frontal electrodes F3, F4, F7, and F8 was averaged as a latent factor.
Preliminary results showed that frontal EEG during the WCST significantly predicted errors (B = 6.00, SE = 1.80, p = .001). A significant interaction was found between EEG power during WCST and open-skill sports participation in predicting WCST errors (B = -0.95, SE = 0.25, p < .001), suggesting frequent open-skill sports engagement predicted fewer errors in children with higher EEG power during WCST.
Findings suggest that open-skill sports may benefit children with EF/attention difficulties, supporting the importance of middle school PE programs and encouraging complex sports like basketball and soccer as a strategy for improving attention switching and flexible reasoning.