{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T17:25:42Z","timestamp":1790270742897,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]],"date-time":"2026-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780012800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Behav. Neurosci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Physical inactivity among children and adolescents has reached critical levels worldwide, with approximately 81% of school-aged youth failing to meet the World Health Organization recommendation of at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. At the same time, screen-based sedentary behaviors have increased substantially, raising concerns about their combined impact on brain development, cognitive processes, and behavioral regulation. Although extensive research exists, evidence regarding dose\u2013response relationships, neurobiological mechanisms, and the moderating role of screen-related behaviors remains fragmented.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This scoping review aimed to systematically map the evidence linking physical activity and sedentary behavior with cognitive outcomes in children and adolescents, examine dose\u2013response patterns, synthesize underlying neurobiological mechanisms (including brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neuroplasticity), and evaluate the moderating influence of screen time and smartphone-related behaviors.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The review followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Six electronic databases (PubMed\/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) were searched for studies published between January 2000 and March 2026. Eligibility criteria were defined using the Population\u2013Concept\u2013Context framework. Two independent reviewers conducted screening, achieving strong inter-rater reliability (\u03ba = 0.84).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Of 2,843 records identified, 60 studies met inclusion criteria across four thematic domains: physical activity and cognitive outcomes, dose-response parameters, neurobiological mechanisms, and screen-based sedentary behavior including nomophobia. Chronic physical activity, particularly in school-based and clinical ADHD settings, was consistently associated with executive function improvements across included systematic reviews and trials. Screen time exceeding 4 h per day was associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and attentional deficits in observational data. Evidence on exercise-induced BDNF upregulation, contingent on structured exposure (\u22653 sessions\/week, \u226512 weeks), is restricted to five pediatric RCTs and warrants cautious interpretation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This scoping review maps consistent associations between physical activity and improved cognitive function in youth, mediated through neurobiological pathways that vary in strength across study designs and populations. Excessive screen exposure is associated with cognitive risk in observational data. Integrated public health frameworks addressing physical activity, screen time, and sleep represent a priority direction for future longitudinal research and policy development.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnbeh.2026.1848119","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]],"date-time":"2026-05-29T06:08:01Z","timestamp":1780034881000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cognitive function in children and adolescents: a scoping review of dose-response relationships, screen time interactions, and public health implications"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Ismail","family":"Dergaa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, University of Manouba","place":["Manouba, Tunisia"]},{"name":"Research Unit of Physical Activity, Sport, and Health, UR18JS01, National Observatory on Sport","place":["Tunis, Tunisia"]},{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba","place":["El Kef, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wissem","family":"Dhahbi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba","place":["El Kef, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed Amine","family":"Dergaa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba","place":["El Kef, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mortadha","family":"Razzak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba","place":["El Kef, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Halil \u0130brahim","family":"Ceylan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education and Sports Teaching, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Atat\u00fcrk University","place":["Erzurum, T\u00fcrkiye"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valentina","family":"Stefanica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sciences, Physical Education and Informatics, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Pite\u015fti University Center","place":["Pite\u015fti, Romania"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raul Ioan","family":"Muntean","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University \u201c1 Decembrie 1918\u201d of Alba Iulia","place":["Alba Iulia, Romania"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Noomen","family":"Guelmami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba","place":["El Kef, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"729","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaac.2017.06.012","article-title":"The effect of physical activity interventions on children\u2019s cognition and metacognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"56","author":"Alvarez-Bueno","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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