Is the effect of aerobic exercise on cognition a placebo effect?

ABSTRACT: A number of studies and meta-analyses conclude that aerobic fitness (walking) interventions improve cognition. Such interventions typically compare improvements from these interventions to an active control group in which participants engage in non-aerobic activities (typically stretching and toning) for an equivalent amount of time. However, in the absence of a double-blind design, the presence of an active control group does not necessarily control for placebo effects; participants might expect different amounts of improvement for the treatment and control interventions. We conducted a large survey to explore whether people expect greater cognitive benefits from an aerobic exercise intervention compared to a control intervention. If participants expect greater improvement following aerob

SUBMITTER: Stothart CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4188819 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature