* = 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.
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 inhibitory control during intense interval exercise: A ERP study.
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.
Onbasi, S., Lin, C. C., Brush, C. J., Amireault, S., Ullrich-French, S., Chang, Y. K., & Kao, S. C.* The acute effect of mindful aerobic exercise on state-mindfulness, emotional reactivity, and affect.
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.
Baumgartner, N. W., Belbis, M. D., Noh, K., Hirai, D. M., Amireault, S., & Kao, S. C. (Accepted). Brawn and brainpower: Acute resistance exercise improves behavioral and neuroelectric measures of executive function. Psychophysiology.
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., 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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