Neurocognitive effects of a single bout of aerobic exercise session on medial temporal lobe.
Poster No:
2061
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Anastasia Cherednichenko1, Anna Miró-Padilla2, Maria Reyes Beltran-Valls1, Diego Moliner-Urdiales1, César Ávila1
Institutions:
1Jaume I University, Castellón de la Plana, Spain, 2Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Introduction
Engagement in aerobic exercise and increasing cardiorespiratory fitness are promising methods for promoting hippocampal health in humans, with both the structure and the function of that brain area showing either increased volume or functional connectivity after long term aerobic exercise interventions (1, 2). However, although there are studies focused on exploring the acute effects of aerobic exercise on the hippocampus (3,4), the immediate neurocognitive response to a single bout of exercise and the subsequent changes and adaptations in hippocampal structure remain less understood. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the neurocognitive changes observed after a single bout of aerobic moderate-intensity exercise using resting state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI), and measures of mood and memory in a sample of healthy young adults.
Engagement in aerobic exercise and increasing cardiorespiratory fitness are promising methods for promoting hippocampal health in humans, with both the structure and the function of that brain area showing either increased volume or functional connectivity after long term aerobic exercise interventions (1, 2). However, although there are studies focused on exploring the acute effects of aerobic exercise on the hippocampus (3,4), the immediate neurocognitive response to a single bout of exercise and the subsequent changes and adaptations in hippocampal structure remain less understood. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the neurocognitive changes observed after a single bout of aerobic moderate-intensity exercise using resting state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI), and measures of mood and memory in a sample of healthy young adults.
Methods:
Methods
Participants
47 right-handed healthy young adults (27 females; age: mean=22.4, SD=3.3, range=18-29) participated in the study. All participants had a scaled score >7 on the matrix reasoning test from the WAIS-III.
Experimental procedure flow
Four different sessions:
1. Moderate-intensity exercise level determination for each participant: graded exercise test to exhaustion on a treadmill to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, measuring the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).
2. Exercise session and cognitive measures: 20 minutes of continuous running on a treadmill with a 1% incline at a speed corresponding to the 70% of VO2max, followed by a neuropsychological assessment including the Digit Span subtest of the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale 4th edition, a computerized version of the original Corsi Block Tapping Test (5), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) (6), performed 10 min after the acute exercise.
3. Baseline MRI session: T1-weighted BRAVO anatomical image and resting-state sequence acquisition.
4. Post-exercise MRI session: moderate-intensity exercise + T1-weighted BRAVO anatomical image and resting-state fMRI acquisition, performed 18,84±3,85 minutes after exercise.
Statistical analyses
Independent Component Analysis was performed with a group spatial ICA by means of the GIFT toolbox in Matlab (7). Functional connectivity strength for each individual and each resting state network (RN) at two distinct time points were calculated. Then variations between MRI sessions were computed by means of a repeated measures ANOVA test in SPSS.
Participants
47 right-handed healthy young adults (27 females; age: mean=22.4, SD=3.3, range=18-29) participated in the study. All participants had a scaled score >7 on the matrix reasoning test from the WAIS-III.
Experimental procedure flow
Four different sessions:
1. Moderate-intensity exercise level determination for each participant: graded exercise test to exhaustion on a treadmill to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, measuring the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).
2. Exercise session and cognitive measures: 20 minutes of continuous running on a treadmill with a 1% incline at a speed corresponding to the 70% of VO2max, followed by a neuropsychological assessment including the Digit Span subtest of the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale 4th edition, a computerized version of the original Corsi Block Tapping Test (5), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) (6), performed 10 min after the acute exercise.
3. Baseline MRI session: T1-weighted BRAVO anatomical image and resting-state sequence acquisition.
4. Post-exercise MRI session: moderate-intensity exercise + T1-weighted BRAVO anatomical image and resting-state fMRI acquisition, performed 18,84±3,85 minutes after exercise.
Statistical analyses
Independent Component Analysis was performed with a group spatial ICA by means of the GIFT toolbox in Matlab (7). Functional connectivity strength for each individual and each resting state network (RN) at two distinct time points were calculated. Then variations between MRI sessions were computed by means of a repeated measures ANOVA test in SPSS.
Results:
Results
Thirteen RNs were identified by means of the ICA analyses: Primary Visual Network, Medial Visual Network, Lateral Visual Network, Auditory Network, Sensory Network, Sensory Motor Network, Medial Temporal (MT, Figure 1), Network. Default Mode Network, Precuneus Network, Salience Network, Dorsal Attentional Network, Left Frontoparietal Network and Right Frontoparietal Network. Repeated-measures ANOVA including all these networks at baseline and after exercise revealed a significant decrease of the integrity only for the MT Network [F(41)=6.51, p=.015] (see Figure 2).
Spearman's correlations of the decrease of MT integrity and cognitive measures revealed significant correlations with the scores in the digit span test at baseline (rho=.38, p=.020) and with backward digit span (rho=.42, p=.010), forward Corsi span (rho=.38, p=.018) and positive affect dimension of the PANAS test (rho=.46, p=.008) after exercise.
Thirteen RNs were identified by means of the ICA analyses: Primary Visual Network, Medial Visual Network, Lateral Visual Network, Auditory Network, Sensory Network, Sensory Motor Network, Medial Temporal (MT, Figure 1), Network. Default Mode Network, Precuneus Network, Salience Network, Dorsal Attentional Network, Left Frontoparietal Network and Right Frontoparietal Network. Repeated-measures ANOVA including all these networks at baseline and after exercise revealed a significant decrease of the integrity only for the MT Network [F(41)=6.51, p=.015] (see Figure 2).
Spearman's correlations of the decrease of MT integrity and cognitive measures revealed significant correlations with the scores in the digit span test at baseline (rho=.38, p=.020) and with backward digit span (rho=.42, p=.010), forward Corsi span (rho=.38, p=.018) and positive affect dimension of the PANAS test (rho=.46, p=.008) after exercise.
·Medial Temporal (MT) Network
·Medial Temporal FC pre- and post-acute exercise session
Conclusions:
Conclusions
Our results showed a decrease in the functional integrity of the medial temporal (MT) network from pre- to post-acute exercise MRI sessions. Furthermore, this difference was positively correlated to the scores of cognitive and mood tests, reflecting a better memory performance and an enhanced positive mood after exercise in individuals with a small decrease in MT activity. These changes occurring after each exercise session could be cumulative and related to the neurocognitive effects observed after prolonged training in previous studies. Further research in this field is needed.
Our results showed a decrease in the functional integrity of the medial temporal (MT) network from pre- to post-acute exercise MRI sessions. Furthermore, this difference was positively correlated to the scores of cognitive and mood tests, reflecting a better memory performance and an enhanced positive mood after exercise in individuals with a small decrease in MT activity. These changes occurring after each exercise session could be cumulative and related to the neurocognitive effects observed after prolonged training in previous studies. Further research in this field is needed.
Learning and Memory:
Long-Term Memory (Episodic and Semantic) 2
Working Memory
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Task-Independent and Resting-State Analysis
Motor Behavior:
Motor Behavior Other 1
Keywords:
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Learning
Limbic Systems
Memory
Motor
Physical Therapy
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
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7. Ventura-Campos, N., Sanjuán, A., González, J., Palomar-García, M. Á., Rodríguez-Pujadas, A., Sebastián-Gallés, N., Deco, G., & Ávila, C. (2013). Spontaneous brain activity predicts learning ability of foreign sounds. The Journal of neuroscience: the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 33(22), 9295–9305.