title: The relationship between motor skills and cognitive skills in 4-16 year old typically developing children: A systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review aims to give an overview of studies providing evidence for a relationship between motor and cognitive skills in typically developing children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, Web of Science, and PsychINFO were searched for relevant articles. A total of 21 articles were included in this study. Methodological quality was independently assessed by two reviewers. Motor and cognitive skills were divided into six categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was either no correlation in the literature, or insufficient evidence for or against many correlations between motor skills and cognitive skills. However, weak-to-strong evidence was found for some correlations between underlying categories of motor and cognitive skills, including complex motor skills and higher order cognitive skills. Furthermore, a stronger relationship between underlying categories of motor and cognitive skills was found in pre-pubertal children compared to pubertal children (older than 13 years).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weak-to-strong relations were found between some motor and cognitive skills. The results suggest that complex motor intervention programs can be used to stimulate both motor and higher order cognitive skills in pre-pubertal children.
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Irene M J
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: van der Fels
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.c.m.te.wierike@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Sanne C M
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Te Wierike
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands; Institute for Studies in Sports and Exercise, HAN University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marije T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Elferink-Gemser
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Visscher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D056344:Executive Function; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D009048:Motor Skills; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Children; Cognition; Executive function; Intelligence; Motor ability; Motor performance