The cognitive gains of exercise

A multimodal approach integrating cognitive and motor demands into physical activity for optimal mental health: Methodological issues and future directions

Physical activity is known for its positive effects on cognition and affect, with existing literature suggesting that these mental health benefits may be optimally experienced by incorporating cognitive and motor demands during physical activity (PA). However, the existing body of literature lacks a comprehensive guideline for designing the qualitative characteristics of a PA program. Accordingly, this narrative review aimed to (1) provide a working two-dimension model that operationally defines the cognitive and motor demands involved in PA and the rationale for systematically studying these qualitative aspects of PA, (2) identify methods to assess the cognitive and motor demands of PA and address associated methodological issues, and (3) offer potential future directions for research on the cognitive and motor aspects of PA in support of the development of PA programs designed to maximize PA-induced cognitive and affective benefits. We anticipate this article to inform the need for future research and development on this topic, aiming to create clear, evidence-based guidelines for designing innovative and effective PA interventions.

Mediating role of inhibitory control in relationships between cardiovascular fitness and academic achievement in preadolescents

Cardiovascular fitness (CRF) has been consistently linked to cognitive performance and academic achievement, and inhibitory control has been recognized as a key predictor of academic success. However, few studies have explored whether inhibitory control mediates the relationship between CRF and academic performance in children, and the existing findings are inconclusive because of certain limitations. This study investigated the mediating role of inhibitory control in the association between CRF and academic achievement among preadolescents while also addressing the related limitations. This study enrolled a total of 175 elementary school students (70 girls, mean age=11.17years, standard deviation=0.7), who participated in a half-mile test for assessing their CRF level. Additionally, inhibitory control was measured using the Stroop Color and Word Test (Stroop test), and language and mathematics tests were administered to measure their academic performance. The results revealed that the participants with higher CRF levels achieved superior performance in tasks requiring a high level of inhibitory control (r=0.291, P<0.001) and in Chinese language (r=-0.415, P<0.001) and mathematics (r=-0.366, P<0.001) tests even when gender, age, and body fat were considered. Furthermore, a mediation analysis revealed that inhibitory control, as measured through the incongruent trials of the Stroop test, partially mediated the relationship between CRF and academic performance (language: indirect effect=-0.013, 95% CI [-0.019, -0.008]; math: indirect effect=-0.013, 95% CI [-0.021, -0.009]). These findings have major implications for child development, emphasizing the key role of inhibitory control in the beneficial effects of CRF on academic achievement.

Exercise habits and mental health: Exploring the significance of multimodal imaging markers

Engaging in regular physical activity and establishing exercise habits is known to have multifaceted benefits extending beyond physical health to cognitive and mental well-being. This study explores the intricate relationship between exercise habits, brain imaging markers, and mental health outcomes. While extensive evidence supports the positive impact of exercise on cognitive functions and mental health, recent advancements in multimodal imaging techniques provide a new dimension to this exploration. By using a cross-sectional multimodal brain-behavior statistic in participants with different exercise habits, we aim to unveil the intricate mechanisms underlying exercise's influence on cognition and mental health, including the status of depression, anxiety, and quality of life. This integration of exercise science and imaging promises to substantiate cognitive benefits on mental health and uncover functional and structural changes underpinning these effects. This study embarks on a journey to explore the significance of multimodal imaging metrics (i.e., structural and functional metrics) in deciphering the intricate interplay between exercise habits and mental health, enhancing the comprehension of how exercise profoundly shapes psychological well-being. Our analysis of group comparisons uncovered a strong association between regular exercise habits and improved mental well-being, encompassing factors such as depression, anxiety levels, and overall life satisfaction. Additionally, individuals who engaged in exercise displayed enhanced brain metrics across different modalities. These metrics encompassed greater gray matter volume within the left frontal regions and hippocampus, improved white matter integrity in the frontal-occipital fasciculus, as well as more robust functional network configurations in the anterior segments of the default mode network. The interplay between exercise habits, brain adaptations, and mental health outcomes underscores the pivotal role of an active lifestyle in nurturing a resilient and high-functioning brain, thus paving the way for tailored interventions and improved well-being.

Effects of Coordinative Exercise on Sustained Attention and Perceptual Discrimination in Elementary School Physical Education

Purpose: This study examined the effects of coordinative exercise on children's sustained attention and perceptual discrimination in a school-based physical education (SBPE) setting. Methods: Seventy-three children received an intervention of moderate-to-vigorous intensity coordinative exercise, and 75 children participated in a moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity as part of a regular physical education class. Two neuropsychological tests of executive function (EF) were used to assess attention and perceptual discrimination functions before and after each treatment. Results: The results found that coordinative exercise significantly improved the performances on sustained attention and perceptual discrimination, as evidenced by enhanced response accuracy and improved speed of responding. Specifically, higher progressions in task performance were seen following coordinative exercise relative to regular physical activity. Conclusion: These findings suggest that coordinative exercise could enable more robust improvements in sustained attention and perceptual discrimination among children. Overall, we conclude that structured coordinative exercise, implemented in SBPE settings, may be a promising alternative to promote children's cognitive abilities.

Cognitively engaging movement games improve interference control and academic performance in overweight children: A randomized control trial

The purpose of this study was to determine the (a) dose-response effects of cognitively engaging movement games (CEMGs) designed to improve aerobic capacity, interference control (IC), and academic performance, (b) relationship between intervention-induced improvements in aerobic capacity, IC, and academic performance, and (c) moderation effect of IC on the relationship between aerobic capacity and academic performance in overweight children. Seventy-five overweight children (aged 11.23 ± 0.60 years; 48% males) participated in this study conducted in Taipei during the 2018/2019 academic year and were randomly assigned to the low-dose (20-min) intervention, high-dose (40-min) intervention, and control groups and completed a Stroop test, half-mile run, and language and mathematics tests before and after a 10-week afterschool program. Both intervention groups showed similar improvements in outcomes of aerobic capacity (ds > 0.80), IC (ds > 0.76), and academic performance (ds > 0.90) from the pretest to posttest, whereas these outcomes were unchanged for the control group. Furthermore, improved IC moderated the association between improvements in aerobic capacity and academic performance. Our findings suggest that CEMG with varying doses is feasible and effective for improving aerobic capacity, IC, and academic performance in overweight children and that the association between improvements in aerobic capacity and academic performance depends on the intervention effects on IC.

Brain-based mechanisms of late-life depression: Implications for novel interventions

Late-life depression (LLD) is a particularly debilitating illness. Older adults suffering from depression commonly experience poor outcomes in response to antidepressant treatments, medical comorbidities, and declines in daily functioning. This review aims to further our understanding of the brain network dysfunctions underlying LLD that contribute to disrupted cognitive and affective processes and corresponding clinical manifestations. We provide an overview of a network model of LLD that integrates the salience network, the default mode network (DMN) and the executive control network (ECN). We discuss the brain-based structural and functional mechanisms of LLD with an emphasis on their link to clinical subtypes that often fail to respond to available treatments. Understanding the brain networks that underlie these disrupted processes can inform the development of targeted interventions for LLD. We propose behavioral, cognitive, or computational approaches to identifying novel, personalized interventions that may more effectively target the key cognitive and affective symptoms of LLD.

Neural correlates of cognitive processing capacity in elite soccer players

Although great progress has been made in our understanding of perceptual-cognitive expertise in team sports, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying such cognitive advantage in the face of multiple, sometimes conflicting, channels of information are not well understood. Two electroencephalographic indices associated with perceptual decisions, the P3 component of event-related potential and alpha inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC), were measured and compared across elite soccer players and non-athletic controls while performing a redundant-target task. Specifically, we adopted an effective diagnostic tool, Systems Factorial Technology, to assess participants' workload capacity. Soccer players exhibited larger workload capacity while making faster decisions compared with controls. Moreover, this larger workload capacity was associated with modulations of P3 and alpha ITPC when processing two targets relative to one target and one distractor, an effect that was not observed in controls. Together, the present findings offer a possible mechanistic explanation of perceptual-cognitive expertise in the context of team sports.

The brains of elite soccer players are subject to experience-dependent alterations in white matter connectivity

Soccer is the only major sport with voluntary unprotected head-to-ball contact. It is crucial to determine if head impact through long-term soccer training is manifested in brain structure and connectivity, and whether such alterations are due to sustained training per se. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we documented a comprehensive view of soccer players' brains in a sample of twenty-five right-handed male elite soccer players aged from 18 to 22 years and twenty-five non-athletic controls aged 19-24 years. Importantly, none had recalled a history of concussion. We performed a whole-brain tract-based spatial statistical analysis, and a tract-specific probabilistic tractography method to measure the differences of white matter properties between groups. Whole-brain integrity analysis showed stronger microstructural integrity within the corpus callosum tract in soccer players compared to controls. Further, tract-specific probabilistic tractography revealed that the anterior part of corpus callosum may be the brain structure most relevant to training experience, which may put into perspective prior evidence showing corpus callosum alteration in retired or concussed athletes practicing contact sports. Intriguingly, experience-related alterations showed left hemispheric lateralization of potential early signs of concussion-like effects. In sum, we concluded that the observed gains and losses may be due to a consequence of engagement in protracted soccer training that incurs prognostic hallmarks associated with minor injury-induced neural inflammation.