Neuroscientific interventions in early Physical Education: a bibliometric linkage of their impact on early learning development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v71.117416Keywords:
Cognitive development, Early childhood, early learning, neuroscience, Physical EducationAbstract
Introduction: Physical education in early childhood is recognized as an essential component for the comprehensive development of children, not only from a motor perspective but also from cognitive, socio-emotional, and neurobiological standpoints.
Objective: To conduct a bibliometric analysis of neuroscientific interventions in early physical education and their impact on early learning development.
Methodology: A qualitative approach was adopted under an exploratory–interpretive design. The final corpus consisted of a total of 86 scientific documents.
Results: A sustained growth was identified in international scientific production regarding the integration of neuroscience into early physical education, especially between 2021 and 2025.
Discussion: Recent studies have shown that the systematic practice of motor activities activates brain networks related to the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus, structures associated with working memory, self-regulation, and planning.
Conclusions: It was found that academic interest in this field responded to the need to base pedagogical practices on scientific evidence about brain functioning and its relationship with motor and cognitive development in early childhood.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Wilson Alexander Zambrano Vélez, Gertrudis Amarilis Laínez Quinde, Ana María Uribe Veintimilla, Freddy Fabian Andrade Saltos, Diana Carolina Valdiviezo Haz
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