Determining Cognitive Performance in Athletes: A Systematic Review Focused on Methodology of Applying Cognitive Tests

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Mancı E., Herold F., Özdalyan F., Demir Benli M., Bozkurt Ç., Gençtürk U., ...More

SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, vol.1, no.30, pp.1-30, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)

• Publication Type: Article / Article
• Volume: 1 Issue: 30
• Publication Date: 2025
• Doi Number: 10.1111/sjop.13105
• Journal Name: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Periodicals Index Online, CINAHL, Educational research abstracts (ERA), MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo
• Page Numbers: pp.1-30
• Keywords: cognition, cognitive functions, cognitive performance, cognitive test battery, cognitive testing, exercise, physical fitness
• Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
• Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Although in recent years, there have been many studies to determine the cognitive performance of athletes, there are significantdifferences in the methodological approaches of these studies. Therefore, this methodology-focused systematic review aims toanalyze the application methods of cognitive test studies with athletes and to provide standard recommendations for furtherstudies. For this purpose, three electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) were searched using predeterminedkeywords. As a result of the screening, 25 studies were included in the review. The result of this systematic review focused onthe methodology of applying cognitive tests and observed considerable heterogeneity in methodological procedures applied instudies investigating the cognitive performance of athletes. The findings of this review highlight the need for the development ofstandardized procedures for the assessment of cognitive performance in future research while offering practical recommenda-tions for researchers and coaches working in this area.