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Bendau A, Petzold MB, Kaminski J, Plag J, Ströhle A. Exercise as Treatment for "Stress-Related" Mental Disorders. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:420-436. [PMID: 37779399 PMCID: PMC10845075 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x22666230927103308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The beneficial impact of physical activity on preventing and treating mental disorders has captured growing (research) interest. This article aims to provide a concise overview of essential evidence regarding the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of physical activity for individuals with mental disorders clustered as "stress-related" conditions. Empirical findings (e.g., longitudinalprospective studies, interventional randomized-controlled-trials, reviews, meta-analyses) regarding the effects of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of stress-related mental disorders are summarized. Furthermore, potential mechanisms underlying these effects are discussed, and recommendations regarding the use of physical activity are outlined. The majority of studies indicate good efficacy of physical activity in prospectively lowering the risk for the incidence of subsequent stress-related mental disorders as well as in the treatment of manifest disorders. Most evidence targets unipolar depressive disorder and, secondly, anxiety disorders. Research regarding posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and somatoform disorders is promising but scarce. Physical activity seems to be useful as a stand-alone-treatment as well as in combination with other psychotherapeutic or pharmacological treatments. Multiple intertwined physiological, psychological, and social mechanisms are assumed to mediate the beneficial effects. Recommendations regarding physical activity can orientate on official guidelines but should consider the individual needs and circumstances of each subject. In summary, physical activity seems to be effective in the prevention and treatment of stressrelated mental disorders and, therefore, should be fostered in healthcare-settings. Future studies are needed to clarify partly inconsistent patterns of results and to close research gaps, e.g., concerning somatoform disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Bendau
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- HMU Health and Medical University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Moritz Bruno Petzold
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Kaminski
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Plag
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- HMU Health and Medical University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Oberberg Fachklinik Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Andreas Ströhle
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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Jentsch VL, Wolf OT, Otto T, Merz CJ. The impact of physical exercise on the consolidation of fear extinction memories. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14373. [PMID: 37350416 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Based on the mechanisms of fear extinction, exposure therapy is the most common treatment for anxiety disorders. However, extinguished fear responses can reemerge even after successful treatment. Novel interventions enhancing exposure therapy efficacy are therefore critically needed. Physical exercise improves learning and memory and was also shown to enhance extinction processes. This study tested whether physical exercise following fear extinction training improves the consolidation of extinction memories. Sixty healthy men underwent a differential fearconditioning paradigm with fear acquisition training on day 1 and fear extinction training followed by an exercise or resting control intervention on day 2. On day 3, retrieval and reinstatement were tested including two additional but perceptually similar stimuli to explore the generalization of exercise effects. Exercise significantly increased heart rate, salivary alpha amylase, and cortisol, indicating successful exercise manipulation. Contrary to our expectations, exercise did not enhance but rather impaired extinction memory retrieval on the next day, evidenced by significantly stronger differential skin conductance responses (SCRs) and pupil dilation (PD). Importantly, although conditioned fear responses were successfully acquired, they did not fully extinguish, explaining why exercise might have boosted the consolidation of the original fear memory trace instead. Additionally, stronger differential SCRs and PD toward the novel stimuli suggest that the memory enhancing effects of exercise also generalized to perceptually similar stimuli. Together, these findings indicate that physical exercise can facilitate both the long-term retrievability and generalization of extinction memories, but presumably only when extinction was successful in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie L Jentsch
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Tobias Otto
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Christian J Merz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Jaehne EJ, Antolasic EJ, Creutzberg KC, Begni V, Riva MA, van den Buuse M. Impaired fear memory in a rat model of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met polymorphism is reversed by chronic exercise. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 203:107779. [PMID: 37269900 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism is associated with reduced activity-dependent BDNF release in the brain and has been implicated in fear and anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Exercise has been shown to have benefits in affective disorders but the role of BDNF Val66Met remains unclear. Male and female BDNF Val66Met rats were housed in automated running-wheel cages from weaning while controls were housed in standard cages. During adulthood, all rats underwent standard three-day fear conditioning testing, with three tone/shock pairings on day 1 (acquisition), and extinction learning and memory (40 tones/session) on day 2 and day 3. Expression of BDNF and stress-related genes were measured in the frontal cortex. Extinction testing on day 2 revealed significantly lower freezing in response to initial cue exposure in control Met/Met rats, reflecting impaired fear memory. This deficit was reversed in both male and female Met/Met rats exposed to exercise. There were no genotype effects on acquisition or extinction of fear, however chronic exercise increased freezing in all groups at every stage of testing. Exercise furthermore led to increased expression of Bdnf in the prefrontal cortex of females and its isoforms in both sexes, as well as increased expression of FK506 binding protein 51 (Fkpb5) in females and decreased expression of Serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase (Sgk1) in males independent of genotype. These results show that the Met/Met genotype of the Val66Met polymorphism affects fear memory, and that chronic exercise selectively reverses this genotype effect. Chronic exercise also led to an overall increase in freezing in all genotypes which may contribute to results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Jaehne
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emily J Antolasic
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kerstin C Creutzberg
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Begni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
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Nakamura M, Kawata Y, Hirosawa M, Ota T, Shibata N. Differential effects of acute exercise on emotional memory in men and women. Front Sports Act Living 2023; 5:1062051. [PMID: 37234750 PMCID: PMC10208400 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1062051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Exercise may change emotional memory, which is associated with the induction of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. This effect of exercise may be influenced by exercise-induced cortisol release. Depending on sex, cortisol exerts differential effects on emotional memory consolidation. However, whether acute exercise and exercise-induced cortisol release have sex-dependent effects on emotional memory has not been established. Therefore, first, we aimed to determine the effects of acute exercise on emotional memory, separately for men and women, in a within-subjects design. Second, we aimed to examine whether the effects of acute exercise on emotional memory are related to the effects of exercise-induced cortisol release, separately for men and women. Sixteen healthy men and 15 healthy women were presented with positive and negative emotional images, followed by either rest or a vigorous-intensity cycling exercise condition using a within-subjects design on separate days. Salivary cortisol was measured before presenting the emotional images presentation and 20 min after each intervention. Emotional memory was assessed two days later. Vigorous-intensity exercise decreased emotional memory in women, whereas there was no change in men after rest or exercise. Cortisol levels increased after exercise intervention in both men and women, although there was no association between cortisol levels and emotional memory. These findings demonstrate that the effect of a single bout of vigorous-intensity exercise on emotional memory differs between men and women and is associated with decreased emotional memory in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyuki Nakamura
- Institute of Health and Sports Science & Medicine, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yujiro Kawata
- Institute of Health and Sports Science & Medicine, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan
- Faculty of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Japan
- Graduate School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masataka Hirosawa
- Graduate School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tsuneyoshi Ota
- Institute of Health and Sports Science & Medicine, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan
- Faculty of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Japan
- Graduate School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Nobuto Shibata
- Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
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Bryant RA. Is Fear Extinction Impairment Central to Psychopathology? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 64:195-212. [PMID: 37668874 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
As discussed in this chapter, there have been enormous advances in our understanding of how anxiety disorders develop, are maintained, and can be treated. Many of these advances have been the result of translational studies using fear conditioning and extinction models. Despite these successes, we recognize, as a field, that there are important limitations in the extent to which extinction can explain how anxiety disorders and behaviors remit. Clinically speaking, the outstanding challenge for treatment of anxiety disorders is to improve the current suboptimal success rates. Over the past 30 years, we have not improved our treatment success rates despite employing many pharmacological and pharmacological strategies. While extinction and related fear circuitry mechanisms most certainly appear to play a role in treatment of anxiety disorders, they are also apparently insufficient to fully accommodate the varied responses individuals exhibit with this treatment approach. Increasingly diverse and innovative approaches are needed that accommodate the multitude of change mechanisms involved in treating anxiety. However, this is not to suggest ignoring the key role that extinction and memory updating processes play in overcoming anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Bryant RA, Dawson KS, Azevedo S, Yadav S, Cahill C, Kenny L, Maccallum F, Tran J, Rawson N, Tockar J, Garber B, Keyan D. Augmenting trauma-focused psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder with brief aerobic exercise in Australia: a randomised clinical trial. Lancet Psychiatry 2023; 10:21-29. [PMID: 36436532 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(22)00368-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although exposure therapy is central in most front-line psychotherapies of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), many patients do not respond to this treatment. We aimed to investigate the effects of brief aerobic exercise on the efficacy of exposure therapy in reducing the severity of PTSD. METHODS We did a single-blind, parallel, randomised controlled trial in Sydney, NSW, Australia. We included adults (aged ≥18 years) with clinician-diagnosed PTSD. We excluded participants aged 70 years or older, with imminent suicidal risk (reporting suicidal plan), presence of psychosis or substance dependence, history of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury, or presence of a physical disorder or impairment that might be exacerbated by aerobic exercise (eg, back pain). We randomly assigned participants (1:1) to nine 90-min weekly sessions of exposure therapy for PTSD with 10 min aerobic exercise or to the control group of exposure therapy with 10 min passive stretching. The primary outcome was PTSD severity measured by the clinician-administered PTSD scale 2 (CAPS-2), independently assessed at baseline, 1 week after treatment, and 6 months after treatment (primary outcome timepoint). FINDINGS Between Dec 12, 2012, and July 25, 2018, we enrolled 130 participants with PTSD, with 65 (50%) participants randomly assigned to exposure therapy with exercise and 65 (50%) to exposure therapy with passive stretching, including 79 (61%) women and 51 (39%) men, with a mean age of 39·1 years (SD 14·4; range 18-69). 99 (76%) participants were White, 14 (11%) were Asian, and 17 (13%) were listed as other. At the 6-month follow-up assessment, participants in the exposure therapy with exercise group showed greater reductions in CAPS-2 scores relative to those in the exposure therapy with stretching group (mean difference 12·1 [95% CI 2·4-21·8]; p=0·023), which resulted in a moderate effect size of 0·6 (0·1-1·1). No adverse events associated with the intervention were reported. The trial was prospectively registered on the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12612000185864. INTERPRETATION Brief aerobic exercise has the potential to augment long-term gains of exposure therapy for PTSD, which accords with evidence from studies in animals and humans on the role of exercise in modulating the extinction learning processes. This strategy might offer a simple and affordable means to augment treatment gains for exposure therapy in people with PTSD. FUNDING Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Katie S Dawson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Suzanna Azevedo
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Srishti Yadav
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Catherine Cahill
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lucy Kenny
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Fiona Maccallum
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jenny Tran
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Natasha Rawson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Julia Tockar
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Benjamin Garber
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dharani Keyan
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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8
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Merz CJ, Wolf OT. How stress hormones shape memories of fear and anxiety in humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104901. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Desai S, Borg B, Cuttler C, Crombie KM, Rabinak CA, Hill MN, Marusak HA. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Exercise on the Endocannabinoid System. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2022; 7:388-408. [PMID: 34870469 PMCID: PMC9418357 DOI: 10.1089/can.2021.0113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The endocannabinoid (eCB) system plays a key role in maintaining homeostasis, including the regulation of metabolism and stress responses. Chronic stress may blunt eCB signaling, and disruptions in eCB signaling have been linked to stress-related psychiatric disorders and physical health conditions, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes, and obesity. Pharmacological and nonpharmacological behavioral interventions (e.g., exercise) that target the eCB system may be promising therapeutic approaches for the prevention and treatment of stress-related diseases. In this study, we perform a systematic review and the first meta-analysis to examine the impact of exercise on circulating eCB concentrations. Materials and Methods: We performed a review of the MEDLINE (PubMed) database for original articles examining the impact of exercise on eCBs in humans and animal models. A total of 262 articles were screened for initial inclusion. Results: Thirty-three articles (reporting on 57 samples) were included in the systematic review and 10 were included in the meta-analysis. The majority of samples that measured anandamide (AEA) showed a significant increase in AEA concentrations following acute exercise (74.4%), whereas effects on 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) were inconsistent. The meta-analysis, however, revealed a consistent increase in both AEA and 2-AG following acute exercise across modalities (e.g., running, cycling), species (e.g., humans, mice), and in those with and without pre-existing health conditions (e.g., PTSD, depression). There was substantial heterogeneity in the magnitude of the effect across studies, which may relate to exercise intensity, physical fitness, timing of measurement, and/or fasted state. Effects of chronic exercise were inconsistent. Conclusions: Potential interpretations and implications of exercise-induced mobilization of eCBs are discussed, including refilling of energy stores and mediating analgesic and mood elevating effects of exercise. We also offer recommendations for future work and discuss therapeutic implications for exercise in the prevention and treatment of stress-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Desai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Breanna Borg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Carrie Cuttler
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Kevin M. Crombie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Christine A. Rabinak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Matthew N. Hill
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hilary A. Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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Yang S, Zhu G. 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone and Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Translational Perspective from the Mechanism to Drug Development. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:1479-1497. [PMID: 34525922 PMCID: PMC9881092 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210915122820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) is a kind of natural flavonoid with the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier. 7,8-DHF effectively mimics the effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain to selectively activate tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) and downstream signaling pathways, thus playing a neuroprotective role. The preclinical effects of 7,8-DHF have been widely investigated in neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), depression, and memory impairment. Besides the effect on TrkB, 7,8-DHF could also function through fighting against oxidative stress, cooperating with estrogen receptors, or regulating intestinal flora. This review focuses on the recent experimental studies on depression, neurodegenerative diseases, and learning and memory functions. Additionally, the structural modification and preparation of 7,8-DHF were also concluded and proposed, hoping to provide a reference for the follow-up research and clinical drug development of 7,8-DHF in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, the Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, 230038, China
| | - Guoqi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, the Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, 230038, China,Address correspondence to this author at the Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Meishan Road 103, Hefei 230038, China; E-mail:
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11
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Loprinzi P, Olafson D, Scavuzzo C, Lovorn A, Mather M, Frith E, Fujiwara E. Effects of acute exercise on emotional memory. Cogn Emot 2022; 36:660-689. [PMID: 35293844 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2050890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Research has demonstrated beneficial effects of acute exercise on memory for neutral materials, such as word lists of neutral valence/low arousal. However, the impacts of exercise on emotional memory is less understood. Across three laboratory experiments in college students, we tested if acute exercise could enhance both neutral and emotional memory performance, anticipating a greater effect for emotional memory. We examined effects of exercise at varying intensities (Experiment 1: high-intensity; Experiment 2: low- and high-intensity; Experiment 3: moderate-intensity), of diverse modalities (Experiment 1: treadmill jogging; Experiment 2: cycling; Experiment 3: open-skill (racquetball) and closed-skill (treadmill jogging) exercise), and on emotional memory performance assessed at increasing levels of hippocampal dependency (Experiment 1: Y/N recognition task; Experiment 2: paired-associative recognition task; Experiment 3: cued-recall task). We found that, in all experiments, acute exercise did not significantly influence emotional or neutral memory performance relative to sedentary control conditions. However, we observed several noteworthy outcomes indicating that acute exercise may be linked to improvements in memory confidence and accuracy for central aspects of emotional memory stimuli, and that select exercise modalities (e.g. treadmill exercise) may also be associated with increased frequency of memory intrusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Loprinzi
- Exercise and Memory Laboratory, Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
| | - Danielle Olafson
- Fujiwara Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Claire Scavuzzo
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Ashley Lovorn
- Exercise and Memory Laboratory, Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
| | - Mara Mather
- Emotion and Cognition Lab, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Department of Psychology, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emily Frith
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Esther Fujiwara
- Fujiwara Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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12
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Yamada Y, Frith EM, Wong V, Spitz RW, Bell ZW, Chatakondi RN, Abe T, Loenneke JP. Acute exercise and cognition: A review with testable questions for future research into cognitive enhancement with blood flow restriction. Med Hypotheses 2021; 151:110586. [PMID: 33848917 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Blood flow restriction, in combination with low load/intensity exercise, has consistently been shown to increase both muscle size and strength. In contrast, the effects of blood flow restricted exercise on cognition have not been well studied. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is 1) to review the currently available literature investigating the impact of blood flow restricted exercise on cognition and 2) to provide some hypotheses for how blood flow restriction might provide an additive stimulus for augmenting specific cognitive domains above exercise alone. Given the lack of research in this area, the effects of blood flow restricted exercise on cognition are still unclear. We hypothesize that blood flow restricted exercise could potentially enhance several cognitive domains (such as attention, executive functioning, and memory) through increases in lactate production, catecholamine concentration, and PGC-1α expression. We review work that suggests that blood flow restriction is not only a beneficial strategy to improve musculoskeletal function but could also be a favorable method for enhancing multiple domains of cognition. Nonetheless, it must be emphasized this is a hypothesis that currently has only minimal experimental support, and further investigations in the future are necessary to test the hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujiro Yamada
- Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Emily M Frith
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, PA 16801, USA
| | - Vickie Wong
- Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Robert W Spitz
- Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Zachary W Bell
- Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Raksha N Chatakondi
- Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Takashi Abe
- Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Jeremy P Loenneke
- Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA.
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Moya NA, Tanner MK, Smith AM, Balolia A, Davis JKP, Bonar K, Jaime J, Hubert T, Silva J, Whitworth W, Loetz EC, Bland ST, Greenwood BN. Acute exercise enhances fear extinction through a mechanism involving central mTOR signaling. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 176:107328. [PMID: 33075479 PMCID: PMC7718627 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Impaired fear extinction, combined with the likelihood of fear relapse after exposure therapy, contributes to the persistence of many trauma-related disorders such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Identifying mechanisms to aid fear extinction and reduce relapse could provide novel strategies for augmentation of exposure therapy. Exercise can enhance learning and memory and augment fear extinction of traumatic memories in humans and rodents. One factor that could contribute to enhanced fear extinction following exercise is the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). mTOR is a translation regulator involved in synaptic plasticity and is sensitive to many exercise signals such as monoamines, growth factors, and cellular metabolism. Further, mTOR signaling is increased after chronic exercise in brain regions involved in learning and emotional behavior. Therefore, mTOR is a compelling potential facilitator of the memory-enhancing and overall beneficial effects of exercise on mental health.The goal of the current study is to test the hypothesis that mTOR signaling is necessary for the enhancement of fear extinction produced by acute, voluntary exercise. We observed that intracerebral-ventricular administration of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin reduced immunoreactivity of phosphorylated S6, a downstream target of mTOR, in brain regions involved in fear extinction and eliminated the enhancement of fear extinction memory produced by acute exercise, without reducing voluntary exercise behavior or altering fear extinction in sedentary rats. These results suggest that mTOR signaling contributes to exercise-augmentation of fear extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolette A Moya
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | - Margaret K Tanner
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | - Abigail M Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | - Aleezah Balolia
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | | | - Kelsey Bonar
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | - Jennifer Jaime
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | - Troy Hubert
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | - Jorge Silva
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | | | - Esteban C Loetz
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
| | - Sondra T Bland
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, USA
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14
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van Gelderen MJ, Nijdam MJ, de Vries F, Meijer OC, Vermetten E. Exposure-related cortisol predicts outcome of psychotherapy in veterans with treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 130:387-393. [PMID: 32889356 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning has been related to treatment outcome in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous studies have primarily focused on cortisol levels before and after a course of therapy and findings have not been fully consistent. This study investigated session-related cortisol levels in veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD over the course of a novel motion-assisted virtual reality exposure therapy and aimed to determine whether cortisol levels were related to changes in PTSD symptom severity. METHODS Veterans (N = 22) received six exposure sessions during which salivary cortisol samples were collected pre-session, post-session and in the late afternoon following sessions. PTSD symptom severity was assessed by structured clinical interviews at pre- and post-treatment. Average cortisol levels were compared between responders and non-responders. Linear regression analyses were conducted with PTSD symptom change as criterion variable, average cortisol levels as predictor, and timing of sampling and baseline PTSD symptoms as covariates. RESULTS Responders to treatment tended to have higher average cortisol levels at pre-session (p = 0.064) and post-session (p = 0.050) compared to non-responders. Higher average pre-session and post-session cortisol levels predicted greater PTSD symptom improvement (pre: b = -1.83, p = 0.009; post: b = -3.57, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION This study provides preliminary evidence for session-related cortisol as biomarker of response to exposure-based therapies for PTSD. Higher cortisol levels may have facilitated fear extinction and reconsolidation, and may indicate increased physiological stress activation necessary for appropriate treatment engagement. Further work involving comparable methodology is encouraged to establish session-related cortisol as biomarker and to determine the mechanisms through which it interacts with treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke J van Gelderen
- ARQ Centrum'45, ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Nienoord 5, 1112XE, Diemen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Mirjam J Nijdam
- ARQ Centrum'45, ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Nienoord 5, 1112XE, Diemen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Friso de Vries
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Eric Vermetten
- ARQ Centrum'45, ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Nienoord 5, 1112XE, Diemen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands; Military Mental Health-Research, Ministry of Defense, Lundlaan 1, 3584 EZ, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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15
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Weisman JS, Rodebaugh TL. Testing the efficacy of a brief exercise intervention for enhancing exposure therapy outcomes. J Anxiety Disord 2020; 74:102266. [PMID: 32603996 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Recently, it has been hypothesized that a brief bout of exercise could cognitively enhance extinction learning processes theorized to underlie exposure therapy for pathological anxiety. The present study tested the exercise enhancement hypothesis in a sample of speech-anxious undergraduates (n = 84). During the first laboratory session, participants engaged in either 30 min of moderate-intensity exercise on a cycling ergometer (n = 37) or seated rest (n = 47) immediately following a brief speech exposure trial. They returned approximately one week later to give a follow-up speech. Contrary to expectation, there were no significant between-group differences in memory of a brief word list across four recall trials, which served as a manipulation check. Further, all main effects and interactions involving condition were nonsignificant. Post hoc tests revealed that participants who reported higher average perceived exertion during exercise demonstrated increases in an average anxiety composite across speeches relative to those who reported lower average perceived exertion, indicating that trying hard during the intervention predicted worse exposure trial outcomes. The implications of these findings, as well as future directions for this line of research, are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn S Weisman
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Thomas L Rodebaugh
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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16
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Jentsch VL, Wolf OT. Acute physical exercise promotes the consolidation of emotional material. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 173:107252. [PMID: 32442600 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Physical exercise can improve cognitive functions and promote learning and memory, especially when performed in close temporal proximity to the encoding of information. This benefit may occur due to circulating stress hormones released in response to acute exercise. When administered after encoding, acute stress typically enhances the consolidation of emotional stimuli. However, whether acute exercise also selectively modulates emotional memories remains to be explored. Likewise, the potential role of sex in moderating these effects has not been addressed so far. Here, we tested whether a single bout of aerobic exercise after learning boosts the consolidation and thus long-term memory for emotional versus neutral visuospatial stimuli. Healthy men and women learned an object-location task and subsequently were exposed to a vigorous-treadmill running task or control intervention. Memory was assessed 24 h later. Acute exercise significantly increased heart rate and salivary cortisol in both sexes and selectively facilitated the consolidation of emotional stimuli. In particular, we found improved memory for negative items in women and better recall of positive items in men following exercise exposure. This memory benefit was positively related to the increase in heart rate and cortisol in both men and women, suggesting that the favorable effects of acute exercise on emotional memory may be mediated via a co-activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Our findings thereby provide first evidence for the improvement of emotional memory consolidation by acute physical exercise that appears to rely on similar neuroendocrine mechanisms as psychosocial stressors. Given that exercise is healthy, cost-effective and practical in nature, it constitutes an ideal behavioral intervention strategy for boosting memory in clinical and educational settings alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie L Jentsch
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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