Neurocognitive Response to Functional Exercise: Performance of Patients With Substance Use Disorder in the Corsi Block Test

This study investigated the effects of a High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) session on visuospatial memory (VSM) in men with substance use disorder (SUD), compared with a control group. Materials and methods: The sample consisted of 44 men in the SUD (N=25) and Control (N=19) groups. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the 6-minute walk test and VSM by the Corsi Block-Tapping Test, before and after a single HIFT session. Results: The groups did not differ in age and BMI. The SUD Group showed significantly lower cardiorespiratory fitness (35.7 ± 6.9 vs. 44.2 ± 4.8 ml/kg/min) and VSM test performance (3.1 ± 0.9 vs. 3.8 ± 1.1 blocks) at baseline (p ≤ 0.02). Both groups showed improved VSM performance after the HIFT session, and the SUD Group was no longer different from the Control Group (4.3 ± 0.7 vs. 4.5 ± 1.2 blocks, p = 0.52, d = 0.20). Conclusions: The results suggest that clinical intervention including HIFT can promote immediate improvements in VSM, with positive neurocognitive effects, thus representing efficacy as a complementary, ecological, and low-cost strategy for clinical rehabilitation programs.