Cognitive and executive functions of top level para-karate
athletes with intellectual disability

J 2026

Cognitive and executive functions of top level para-karate athletes with intellectual disability

AUGUSTOVIČOVÁ, Dušana; Debbie VAN BIESSEN; Roi PINEDA; Dagmar NEMCEK; Jan BURNS et al.

Základní údaje

Originální název

Cognitive and executive functions of top level para-karate athletes with intellectual disability

Autoři

AUGUSTOVIČOVÁ, Dušana ; Debbie VAN BIESSEN; Roi PINEDA; Dagmar NEMCEK a Jan BURNS

Vydání

Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2026, 1878-5476

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Článek v odborném periodiku

Obor

50102 Psychology, special

Stát vydavatele

Velká Británie a Severní Irsko

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Odkazy

URL

Impakt faktor

Impact factor: 3.300 v roce 2024

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Ano

Organizační jednotka

Fakulta sportovních studií

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102998

UT WoS

001421169100001

Klíčová slova anglicky

Down syndromeKata-performanceClassificationIntellectual function

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam, Recenzováno

Změněno: 22. 9. 2025 14:48, Mgr. Dušana Augustovičová, PhD.

Anotace

V originále

Karate is one of the most popular martial arts. This study investigates the cognitive profiles of top-level Para Karate athletes with intellectual disability (ID), aiming to assess the extent to which cognitive abilities are related to athletic performance. Cognitive and executive functions, including decision-making, processing speed, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control, are critical in high-level sports but are often understudied in athletes with ID. We conducted cognitive assessments and executive function tests on a cohort of elite Para Karate athletes (n = 42) aged 27.0 (±6.5) years competing in two separate classes. The K21 class (n = 21) is the traditional class for athletes diagnosed with ID and the K22 (n = 23) is a class for ID-athletes with a significant additional impairment such as a genetic syndrome (e.g., Down syndrome) or functional limitation (e.g., reduced joint mobility). The MANOVA revealed that K21 Para Karate athletes perform significantly better than K22 athletes in the areas related to cognitive processing speed (i.e., simple reaction time), visuospatial processing (block design) and inductive reasoning (matrix reasoning task) with large effect sizes. No significant differences between the classes were found for the executive function measures working memory and inhibitory control. The kata-performance during competition was judged by a panel of seven referees. K21 athletes performed better than K22 athletes and a significant correlation was apparent between kata-performance and one parameter of executive function (i.e., inhibitory control). These results highlight the relation between cognitive development and martial arts performance and provide insights for future studies related to the development of sport-specific classification for athletes with ID. More sophisticated measures are necessary to assess the key determinants of kata performance.

Citovat

AUGUSTOVIČOVÁ, Dušana; Debbie VAN BIESSEN; Roi PINEDA; Dagmar NEMCEK a Jan BURNS. Cognitive and executive functions of top level para-karate athletes with intellectual disability. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2026, roč. 2026, č. 82, s. 11-19. ISSN 1878-5476. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102998.

@article{2520565,
   author = {Augustovičová, Dušana and van Biessen, Debbie and Pineda, Roi and Nemcek, Dagmar and Burns, Jan},
   article_number = {82},
   doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102998},
   keywords = {Down syndromeKata-performanceClassificationIntellectual function},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1878-5476},
   journal = {Psychology of Sport and Exercise},
   title = {Cognitive and executive functions of top level para-karate athletes with intellectual disability},
   url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029225001979?dgcid=author},
   volume = {2026},
   year = {2026}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2520565
AU  - Augustovičová, Dušana - van Biessen, Debbie - Pineda, Roi - Nemcek, Dagmar - Burns, Jan
PY  - 2026
TI  - Cognitive and executive functions of top level para-karate athletes with intellectual disability
JF  - Psychology of Sport and Exercise
VL  - 2026
IS  - 82
SP  - 11-19
EP  - 11-19
SN  - 18785476
KW  - Down syndromeKata-performanceClassificationIntellectual function
UR  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029225001979?dgcid=author
N2  - Karate is one of the most popular martial arts. This study investigates the cognitive profiles of top-level Para Karate athletes with intellectual disability (ID), aiming to assess the extent to which cognitive abilities are related to athletic performance. Cognitive and executive functions, including decision-making, processing speed, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control, are critical in high-level sports but are often understudied in athletes with ID. We conducted cognitive assessments and executive function tests on a cohort of elite Para Karate athletes (n = 42) aged 27.0 (±6.5) years competing in two separate classes. The K21 class (n = 21) is the traditional class for athletes diagnosed with ID and the K22 (n = 23) is a class for ID-athletes with a significant additional impairment such as a genetic syndrome (e.g., Down syndrome) or functional limitation (e.g., reduced joint mobility). The MANOVA revealed that K21 Para Karate athletes perform significantly better than K22 athletes in the areas related to cognitive processing speed (i.e., simple reaction time), visuospatial processing (block design) and inductive reasoning (matrix reasoning task) with large effect sizes. No significant differences between the classes were found for the executive function measures working memory and inhibitory control. The kata-performance during competition was judged by a panel of seven referees. K21 athletes performed better than K22 athletes and a significant correlation was apparent between kata-performance and one parameter of executive function (i.e., inhibitory control). These results highlight the relation between cognitive development and martial arts performance and provide insights for future studies related to the development of sport-specific classification for athletes with ID. More sophisticated measures are necessary to assess the key determinants of kata performance.
ER  -

AUGUSTOVIČOVÁ, Dušana; Debbie VAN BIESSEN; Roi PINEDA; Dagmar NEMCEK a Jan BURNS. Cognitive and executive functions of top level para-karate athletes with intellectual disability. \textit{Psychology of Sport and Exercise}. 2026, roč.~2026, č.~82, s.~11-19. ISSN~1878-5476. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102998.

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