Study Overview:

• Publication Date: August 2023
• Research Timeline: Data collected from January 2000 to April 2023

This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of neuromuscular-cognitive training programs on cognitive, neuromuscular, and neuromuscular-cognitive outcomes in healthy, physically active adults.

Purpose of the Study:

The researchers aimed to address gaps in traditional injury prevention programs, which often focus solely on physical mechanics in controlled environments. By integrating cognitive challenges with neuromuscular exercises, the study sought to better replicate complex sporting scenarios and improve perceptual-cognitive control and movement competence.

Participant Details:

• Population Studied: Healthy, physically active adults aged 18–45 years.
• Exclusion Criteria: Participants with impairments, sedentary lifestyles, or older adults were excluded to maintain focus on young, active individuals.
• Sample Size: 10 studies were included, with a total of 387 participants.

Intervention and Methods:

• Programs Used: Training involved combining neuromuscular tasks (e.g., balance, agility, jumping) with cognitive challenges (e.g., reaction time, decision-making). Devices like Quick Board and Dynavision were used in some studies.

• Training Duration: Varied between 2–8 weeks, with 12–24 sessions in total.
• Outcome Measures:
  • Cognitive: Attention, processing speed, reaction time, and task switching.
  • Neuromuscular: Balance, agility, and hand-eye coordination.
  • Neuromuscular-Cognitive: Integrated tasks such as reactive agility and motor-cognitive coordination.

Key Findings:

• Cognitive Outcomes: Moderate improvements were observed in attention, reaction time, and memory. However, effect sizes were often weak, suggesting the need for further research.
• Neuromuscular Outcomes: Participants showed moderate improvements in balance, agility, and hand-eye coordination.
• Neuromuscular-Cognitive Outcomes: Strong improvements were noted in reactive agility and motor-cognitive coordination, with the highest effect sizes among all categories.

Implications and Importance:

This review highlights that neuromuscular-cognitive training is particularly effective in enhancing tasks that combine physical and cognitive demands. These findings are valuable for designing sport-specific injury prevention and performance enhancement programs that better simulate real-world conditions.

Takeaway Message:

Neuromuscular-cognitive training shows promise in improving both physical and cognitive capabilities, especially in integrated tasks that mimic complex sports scenarios. While the findings are promising, further research is needed to standardize methods and confirm these effects in larger populations.

Reference for Further Reading:

Porter, K. H., Torp, D. M., Taylor, M., & Hoch, M. C. (2023). The Effect of Neuromuscular-Cognitive Training Programs on Cognitive, Neuromuscular, and Neuromuscular-Cognitive Outcomes in Healthy, Young Adults: A Systematic Review. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 7(141–158). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-023-00270-1