* = corresponding author
Chang, Y. K., Chu, C. H., , Hillman, C. H., Li, R, H., Hung, C. S., Chen, Y. C., & Kao, S. C.* (Under 1st revision). An 18-month prospective study of cardiorespiratory fitness and neurocognition in middle age and older adults with and without apolipoprotein ε4 allele. Submitted to Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
Lin, C. C., Cortes-Ospina, M., Noh, K., Onbasi, S., Kao, S. C., & Hung, T. M. (Under 1st revision).The association between physical activity, working memory, and prefrontal cortex oxygenation in children: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. Submitted to Mental Health and Physical Activity.
Onbasi, S., Kelbus, W., Brush, C. J., Amireault, S., Ullrich-French, S., Chang, Y. K., & Kao, S. C.* Altering affective responses and emotional reactivity through acute bouts of aerobic exercise with and without mindfulness. Submitted to Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
Baumgartner, N. W., Belbis, M. D., Noh, K., Naguib, M., Royster, E., Fillar, M., Hirai, D. M., Amireault, S., Kao, S. C. Acute effects of resistance exercise on BDNF and relational memory in young and middle-aged adults.
Baumgartner, N, W., Noh, K., & Kao, S. C. Effects of acute high-intensity resistance exercise on behavioral and neuroelectric measures of verbal and spatial working memory.
Cortes-Ospina, M., Baumgartner, N. W., Noh, K., Wang, C. H., & Kao, S. C.. The relationship between childhood cardiorespiratory fitness, motor skills, and inhibitory control: The mediation role of resting state EEG.
Kao, S. C., Baumgartner, N. W., Noh, K., Wang, C. H., & Schmitt, S. Effects of acute high-intensity interval versus moderate-intensity continuous training bouts on children's relational memory.
Kuznik, A., Amireault, S., Fernandes, I., Wang, C. H., & Kao, S. C.. Fluctuation of conflict and attentional processes underlying inhibitory control during high-intensity interval training.
Lin, C. C., Kao, S. C., Chueh, T. Y., Chang, Y. K., & Hung, T. M.The impact of physical activity interventions on prefrontal cortex oxygenation during executive function performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Onbasi, S., Taylor, E., Wilson, I., Naguib, M., Lodha, A., Wang, C. H., & Kao, S. C.* The effect of collaboration on cognitive performance following a single bout of high-intensity interval training.
Noh, K. M., Baumgartner, N. W., Cortes, M., Wang, C. H., Amireault, S., Ullrich-French, S., Fernandes, I., & Kao, S. C.* Within-day repeatability of acute exercise effect on inhibitory control in children.
Noh, K. M., Cortes, M., Wang, C. H., Amireault, S., Ullrich-French, S., Fernandes, I., & Kao, S. C.* The associations of trait mindfulness with inhibitory control: The moderation of sex and mediation of resting state EEG.
Noh, K. M., Onbasi, S., Cortes, M., Wang, C. H., Amireault, S., Ullrich-French, S., Fernandes, I., & Kao, S. C.* The acute effects of intense intermittent exercise with and without mindfulness-based recovery intervals on inhibitory control.
Kao, S. C., Liang, W. K., Wang, C. H., & Moreau, D. (Accepted). Beyond linear measures: Revealing hidden neural dynamics in sports and exercise cognition with non-linear EEG. Biological Psychology. [article].
Baumgartner, N. W., Belbis, M. D., Noh, K., Hirai, D. M., Amireault, S., & Kao, S. C.* (2025). Brawn and brainpower: Acute resistance exercise improves behavioral and neuroelectric measures of executive function. Psychophysiology, 62(11), 1-14. [article].
Baumgartner, N. W., Geer, E. A., Noh, K., Khatri, R. A., Lattyak, M., Hirai, D. M., Amireault, S., & Kao, S. C.* (2025)."Mind-Muscle Connections": Differential Associations Between Handgrip and Upper-Body Strength with Cognitive Function in Young and Middle-Aged Adults. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 47(2), 102-114. [article]
Chang, Y. K., Ren, F. F., Li, R. H., Ai, J. Y., Kao, S. C., Hung, C. S., Brazaitis, M., & Etnier J. L. (2025). Infographic. Sharpen your brainpower in minutes with exercise: a synthesis of the first meta-review on acute exercise and cognition. British Journal of Sports Medicine. [article]
Chang, Y. K., Ren, F. F., Li, R. H., Ai, J. Y., Kao, S. C., & Etnier J. L. (2025). Effects of Acute Exercise on Cognitive Function: A Meta-Review of 30 Systematic Reviews with Meta-Analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 151(2), 240-259. [article]
Cortes-Ospina, M., Baumgartner, N. W., Nagy, C., Noh, K., Wang, C. H., & Kao, S. C.* (2025). The relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and resting-state cortical activation: An EEG study on power spectrum density. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 213, 112600. [article]
Ho, M. C., Fu, H. L., Kao, S. C., Moreau, D., Liang, W. K., Juo, H. Y., & Wang, C. H. (2025). Quadriceps strength and its association with neural oscillations during temporal preparation for lower-limb responses in healthy elderly adults. European Journal of Neuroscience, 61(7), e70101. [article]
Hsieh, W. L., Kao, S. C., Moreau, D., Wu, C. T., & Wang, C. H. (2025). Examining the relationship between inhibitory control and Taekwondo performance: The importance of ecological validity. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 78, 102817[article]
Kao, S. C., Chen, F. T., Moreau, D., Drollette E. S., Amireault, S., Chu, C. H., & Chang, Y. K. (2025). Acute effects of exercise engagement on neurocognitive function: A systematic review and meta-analysis on P3 amplitude and latency. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18 (1), 111-153. [article]
Lin, C. C., Kao, S. C., Chueh, T. Y., & Hung, T. M. (2025). The effects of chronic exercise interventions on executive function in healthy older adults and optimal training characteristics: A systematic review based on randomized controlled trials. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 80, 102925. [article]
Lin, C. C., Kao, S. C., Hung, C. L., Tsai, C. L., Huang, C. J., Chang, Y. K., & Hung, T. M. (2025). The effects of gymnastics programs with different cognitive loads on working memory and prefrontal cortex oxygenation: a randomized controlled trial. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 57(6), 1123-1136. [article]
Moreau D., Kao, S. C., & Wang, C. H. (2025). Probing brain dynamics correlates of motor expertise with mobile recordings. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 14(1), 241-249. [article]
Baumgartner N. W., Belbis, M. D., Kargl, C., Holmes, M. J., Gavin, T. P., Hirai, D. M., & Kao, S. C.* (2024). Acute effects of high-intensity resistance exercise on recognition of relational memory, lactate, and serum and plasma BDNF. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38(11), 1867-1878. [article]
Baumgartner N. W., & Kao, S. C.* (2024). Size or strength? How components of muscle relate to behavioral and neuroelectric measures of executive function independent of aerobic fitness. Brain and Cognition, 175, 106139. [article]
Hsieh, S. S., Kao, S. C., Raine, L. B., McDonald, K. M., Pontifex, M. B., & Hillman, C. H. (2024). Acute bouts of aerobic exercise do not modulate task-evoked midfrontal theta oscillations in school-age children. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 8, 9-20. [article]
Kao, S. C., Brush, C. J., & Wang, C. H. (2024). A multimodal approach integrating cognitive and motor demands into physical activity for optimal mental health: Methodological issues and future directions. Progress in Brain Research, 286. [article].
Kao, S. C., Fu, H. L., Wang, C. H., & Chou, C. C. (2024). Maintained cognitive gains after 10 weeks of cognitively engaging exercise via reducing body fat in overweight children. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 1-19. [article]
Khatri, R. A., Baumgartner, N. W., Noh, K., Ullrich-French, S., Schmitt, S., Wang, C. H., & Kao, S. C.* (2024). Mindfulness induction and executive function after high-intensity interval training with and without mindful recovery intervals. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 34, 14558. [article]
Kurth, J. D., Klenosky , D. B., Kao, S. C., & Ruiz, Y. (2024). Factors impacting the anticipated pleasure of potential physical activity experiences: a conjoint investigation across involvement segments. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. [article]
Noh K., Baumgartner, N. W., Onbasi, S., & Kao, S. C.* (2024). The relationship of aerobic fitness with verbal and spatial working memory: An ERP study. Progress in Brain Research, 286. [article]
Wu, J. H., Chueh, T. Y., Yu, C. L., Wang, K. P., Kao, S. C., Rodolphe, J. G., Hatfield, B. D., & Hung, T. M. (2024). Effect of a Single Session of Sensorimotor Rhythm Neurofeedback Training on the Putting Performance of Professional Golfers. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 34, e14540. [article]
Chou, C. C., Kao, S. C., Pan, C. C., McCullick, B., Fu, H. L., & Wang, C. H. (2023). Cognitively engaging movement games improve interference control and academic performance in overweight children: A randomized control trial. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports, 33, 521-534. [article].
Chu, C. H., Kao, S. C.*, Hillman, C. H., Etnier, J. L., Chen, F. T., & Chang, Y. K. (2023). The influence of volume‐matched acute aerobic exercise on inhibitory control in late‐middle‐aged and older adults: A neuroelectric study. Psychophyisology, 60(12), e14393. [article].
Fu, H. L., Kao, S. C., Yang, C. T., Moreau, D., & Wang, C. H. (2023). Examining the Relationship Between Aerobic Fitness and Cognitive Control Processes: A SFT and ERP Study. Behavioural Brain Research, 452, 114591. [article].
Kao, S. C.*, Baumgartner, N. W., Noh, K., Wang, C. H., & Schmitt, S. (2023). Acute effects of intense interval versus aerobic exercise on children’s behavioral and neuroelectric measures of inhibitory control. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 26(6), 316-321. [article].
Kao, S. C.*, Baumgartner, N. W., Pritt, T., Wu, S., Schmitt, S., Ullrich-French, S., & Wang, C. H. (2023). Acute effects of mindful interval exercise on cognitive performance in a higher education setting. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 64, 102326. [article]
Lin, C. C., Hsieh, S. S., Huang, C. J., Kao, S. C.*, Chang, Y. K.*, & Hung, T. M.* (2023). The unique contribution of motor ability to visuospatial working memory in school-age children: Evidence from event-related potentials. Psychophysiology, 60(3), e14182 [article]
Wang, C. H., Baumgartner, N. W., Nagy, C., Fu, H. L., Yang, C. T., & Kao, S. C.* (2023). Protective effect of aerobic fitness on the detrimental influence of exhaustive exercise on information processing capacity. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 64, 102301. [article]
Wang, C. H., Fu, H. L., Kao, S. C., Moreau, D., & Yang, C. T. (2023). Systems factorial technology provides novel insights into the cognitive processing characteristics of open-skill athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 66, 102395. [article]
Kao, S. C.*, Baumgartner, N. W., Nagy, C., Fu, H. L., Yang, C. T., & Wang, C. H. (2022). Acute effects of aerobic exercise on conflict suppression, response inhibition, and processing efficiency underlying inhibitory control processes: An ERP and SFT study. Psychophysiology, 59(8), e14032. [article]
Kao, S. C., Tsai, Y. J., Hsieh, S. S., Chen, I. F., Schmitt, S., & Hung, T. M.* (2022). The relationship of muscular endurance and fine motor control with behavioral and neuroelectric indices of attention in preschool children. Scientific Report. 12(1), 1-12. [article]
Wu, C. H., Nien, J. T., Lin, C. Y., Li, R. H., Chu, C.H., Kao, S. C.*, & Chang, Y. K.* (2022). Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with sustained neurocognitive function during a prolonged inhibitory control task in young adults: An ERP study. Psychophysiology, 59(11), e14086 [article]
Chaddock‐Heyman, L., Weng, T. B., Loui, P., Kienzler, C., Weisshappel, R., Drollette, E. S., Raine, L. B., Westfall, D. R., Kao, S. C., ... & Kramer, A. F. (2021). Brain network modularity predicts changes in cortical thickness in children involved in a physical activity intervention. Psychophysiology, 58(10), e13890. [article]
Hsieh, S, S., Chueh, T. Y., Huang, C. J., Kao, S. C., Hillman, C. H., Chang, Y. K., Hung, T. M. (2021). Systematic review of the acute and chronic effects of high-intensity interval training on executive function across the lifespan. Journal of Sports Science, 39(1), 10-22. [article]
Kao, S. C.*, Wang, C. H., Kamijo, K., Khan, N., & Hillman, C. H. (2021). Acute effects of highly intense interval and moderate continuous exercise on the modulation of neural oscillation during working memory. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 160, 10-17. [article]
Chaddock-Heyman, L., Weng, T. B., Kienzler, C., Weisshappel, R., Drollette, E. S., Raine, L. B., Westfall, D. R., Kao, S. C. ... & Hillman, C. H. (2020). Brain network modularity predicts improvements in cognitive and scholastic performance in children involved in a physical activity intervention. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 346. [article]
Hsieh, S. S., Chueh, T. Y., Morris, T. P., Kao, S. C., Westfall, D. R., Raine, L. B., ... & Hillman, C. H. (2020). Greater childhood cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with better top‐down cognitive control: A midfrontal theta oscillation study. Psychophysiology, 57(12), e13678. [article]
Hussey, E. K., Fontes, E. B., Ward, N., Westfall, D. R., Kao, S. C., Kramer, A. F., & Hillman, C. H. (2020). Combined and isolated effects of acute exercise and brain stimulation on executive function in healthy young adults. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(5), 1410. [article]
Kao, S. C.*, Cadenas-Sanchez, C., Shigeta, T. T., Walk, A. M., Chang, Y. K., Pontifex, M. B., & Hillman, C. H. (2020). A systematic review of associations of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on P3b. Psychophysiology, 57(7), e13425. [article]
Kao, S. C.*, Wang, C. H., & Hillman, C. H. (2020). Acute effects of aerobic exercise on response variability and neuroelectric indices during a serial n-back task. Brain and Cognition, 138, 105508. [article]
Raine, L. B., Kao, S. C., Drollette, E. S., Pontifex, M. B., Pindus, D., Hunt, J., ... & Hillman, C. H. (2020). The role of BMI on cognition following acute physical activity in preadolescent children. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 100143. [article]
Tsai, Y. J., Huang, C. J., Hung, C. L., Kao, S. C., Lin, C. F., & Hung, T. M. (2020). Muscular and Motor fitness, and processing speed in preschool children. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17(3), 415-431. [article]
Chen, F. T., Chen, Y. P., Schneider, S., Kao, S. C., Huang, C. M., & Chang, Y. K. (2019). Effects of exercise modes on neural processing of working memory in late middle-aged adults: An fMRI study. Frontiers Aging in Neuroscience, 11, 224. [article]
Pindus, D. M., Drollette, E. S., Raine, L. B., Kao, S. C., Khan, N., Westfall, R. D., Hamill, M., Shorin, R., Calobrisi, E., John, D., Kramer, A. F., & Hillman, C. H. (2019). Moving fast, thinking fast: The relations of physical activity levels and bouts to neuroelectric indices of inhibitory control in preadolescents. Journal of Sport & Health Sciences, 8(4), 301-314. [article]
Wang, C. H., Moreau, D., & Kao, S. C. (2019). From the lab to the field: The potential applications of dry EEG systems to understand brain-behavior relationship in sports. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 893. [article]
Wu, C. H., Karageorghis, C. I., Wang, C. C., Chu, C. H., Kao, S. C., Hung, T. M., & Chang, Y. K. (2019). Effects of acute aerobic and resistance exercise on executive function: An ERP study. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22(12), 1367-1372. [article]
Chaddock-Heyman, L., Weng, T. B., Kienzler, C., Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Drollette, E. S., Raine, L. B., Kao, S. C., Hillman, C. H., Kramer, A. F. (2018) Scholastic performance and functional connectivity of brain networks in children. PloS one, 13(1), e0190073. [article]
Chaddock-Heyman, L., Erickson, K. I., Kienzler, C., Drollette, E. S., Raine, L. B., Kao, S. C., Bensken, J., Weisshappel, R., Castelli, D. M., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2018). Physical activity increases white matter microstructure in children. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12, 950. [article]
Drollette, E. S., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Scudder, M. R., Moore, R. D., Kao, S. C., Westfall, D. R., Wu, C. T., Kamijo, K., Castelli, D. M., Khan, N. A., Kramer, A. F., & Hillman, C. H. (2018). Effects of the FITKids physical activity randomized controlled trial on conflict monitoring in youth. Psychophysiology, 55(3), e13017. [article]
Kao, S. C.*, Drollette, E. S., Ritondale, J. P., Khan, N., & Hillman, C. H. (2018). The acute effects of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous exercise on declarative memory and inhibitory control. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 38, 90-99. [article]
Raine L. B., Drollette, E. S., Kao, S. C., Westfall, D. R., Chaddock-Heyman, L., Kramer, A. F., Khan, N. A., & Hillman, C. H. (accepted). The association between adiposity, cognitive function, and achievement in children. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 50(9), 1868-1874. [article]
Raine, L. B., Kao, S. C., Pindus, D., Westfall, D. R., Shigeta, T. T., Logan, N., Li, J., Sanchez, C., Drollette, E. S., Pontifex, M. B., Khan, N., Kramer, A., Hillman, C. H (2018). A Largescale Reanalysis of Childhood Fitness and inhibitory control. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 2(2), 170-192. [article]
Kao, S. C.*, Drollette, E. S., Scudder, M. R., Raine, L. B., Daniel, R. W., Pontifex, N. B., & Hillman, C. H. (2017). Aerobic fitness is associated with cognitive control strategy in preadolescent children. Journal of Motor Behavior, 49(2), 150-162. [article]
Kao, S. C.*, Westfall, D. R., Parks, A. C., Pontifex, M. B., & Hillman, C. H. (2017). Muscular and aerobic fitness, working memory, and academic achievement in children. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 49(3), 500-508. [article]
Kao, S. C., Westfall, D. R., Soneson, J., Gurd, B. J., & Hillman, C. H. (2017). Comparison of the acute effects of high-intensity interval training and continuous aerobic walking on inhibitory control. Psychophysiology, 54(9), 1335-1345. [article]
Westfall, R. W., Kao, S. C., Scudder, M. R., Pontifex, M. B., & Hillman, C. H. (2017). The association between aerobic fitness and congruency sequence effects in preadolescent children. Brain and Cognition, 113, 85-92. [article]
Chaddock-Heyman, L., Erickson, K. I., Chappell, M. A., Johnson, C. I., Kienzler, C., Knecht, A., Drollette, E. S., Raine, L. B., Scudder, M. R., Kao, S. C., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2016). Aerobic fitness is associated with greater hippocampal cerebral blood flow in children. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 20, 52-58. [article]
Luque-Casado, A., Perakakis, P., Hillman, C. H., Kao, S. C., Llorens, F., Guerra, P., & Sanabria, D. (2016). Differences in sustained attention capacity as a function of aerobic fitness. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 48(5), 887-895. [article]
Hillman, C. H., Khan, N. A., & Kao, S. C. (2015). The Relationship of Health Behaviors to Childhood Cognition and Brain Health. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 66(Suppl. 3), 1-4. [article]
Kao, S. C., Huang, C. J., & Hung, T. M. (2014). Neurofeedback training reduces frontal midline theta and improves putting performance in expert golfers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26(3), 271-286. [article]
Kao, S. C., Huang, C. J., & Hung, T. M. (2013). Frontal midline theta is a specific indicator of optimal attentional engagement during skilled putting performance. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 35(5), 470-478. [article]
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