Cognitive-motor dual-task training differentially affects visual working memory, multifocal attention, and multisensory integration in youth soccer players

Cognitive and physical efforts draw on shared resources that are essential for athletic performance. However, traditional laboratory-based interventions often lack ecological validity and show limited transfer to real-game contexts. Cognitive-motor dual-task (CMDT) training addresses this limitation by integrating cognitively demanding tasks into sport-specific motor practice. This study examined the effects of a 10-month CMDT intervention on visuospatial working memory, multifocal attention, and multisensory integration. The sample comprised 34 youth soccer players (mean age = 9.2 ± 1.82 years) recruited from a talent development center. Participants were evenly allocated to either a CMDT intervention or a control group based on their biological and sporting age as well as their coaches' evaluation of player ability. Cognitive performance was assessed using three screen-based tasks - Visuospatial Working Memory (VSWM), Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) and Sound-Induced Flash Illusion (SIFI) - to evaluate pre- to post-intervention changes in both groups. While no significant CMDT-related improvement was observed in spatial transformation and perspective-taking abilities (VSWM task), the primary analyses suggested CMDT-related improvements in multifocal attention (MOT task), and more robust effects were observed for multisensory integration (SIFI task). These findings suggest that embedding cognitive demands into sport-specific motor practice may be an effective approach to strengthening executive functions that are essential for high-level athletic performance.