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Heiland EG, Kjellenberg K, Tarassova O, Fernström M, Nyberg G, Ekblom MM, Helgadottir B, Ekblom Ö. ABBaH teens: Activity Breaks for Brain Health in adolescents: study protocol for a randomized crossover trial. Trials 2022; 23:22. [PMID: 34991692 PMCID: PMC8733916 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-021-05972-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical activity breaks are widely being implemented in school settings as a solution to increase academic performance and reduce sitting time. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms suggested to improve cognitive function from physical activity and the frequency, intensity, and duration of the breaks remain unknown. This study will investigate the effects of frequent, short physical activity breaks during prolonged sitting on task-related prefrontal cerebral blood flow, cognitive performance, and psychological factors. Additionally, the moderating and mediating effects of arterial stiffness on changes in cerebral blood flow will be tested. METHODS This is a protocol for a randomized crossover study that will recruit 16 adolescents (13-14 years old). Participants will undergo three different conditions in a randomized order, on three separate days, involving sitting 80 min with a different type of break every 17 min for 3 min. The breaks will consist of (1) seated social breaks, (2) simple resistance activities, and (3) step-up activities. Before and after the 80-min conditions, prefrontal cerebral blood flow changes will be measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (primary outcome), while performing working memory tasks (1-, 2-, and 3-back tests). Arterial stiffness (augmentation index and pulse wave velocity) and psychological factors will also be assessed pre and post the 80-min interventions. DISCUSSION Publication of this protocol will help to increase rigor in science. The results will inform regarding the underlying mechanisms driving the association between physical activity breaks and cognitive performance. This information can be used for designing effective and feasible interventions to be implemented in schools. TRIAL REGISTRATION www.ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04552626 . Retrospectively registered on September 21, 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emerald G. Heiland
- Department of Physical Activity and Health, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Lidingövägen 1, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Medical Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14B, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Kjellenberg
- Department of Physical Activity and Health, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Lidingövägen 1, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olga Tarassova
- Department of Physiology, Nutrition, and Biomechanics, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Lidingövägen 1, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Fernström
- Department of Physical Activity and Health, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Lidingövägen 1, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gisela Nyberg
- Department of Physical Activity and Health, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Lidingövägen 1, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 17177 Solna, Sweden
| | - Maria M. Ekblom
- Department of Physical Activity and Health, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Lidingövägen 1, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 17177 Solna, Sweden
| | - Björg Helgadottir
- Department of Physical Activity and Health, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Lidingövägen 1, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 17177 Solna, Sweden
| | - Örjan Ekblom
- Department of Physical Activity and Health, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Lidingövägen 1, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
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Serra L, Raimondi S, di Domenico C, Maffei S, Lardone A, Liparoti M, Sorrentino P, Caltagirone C, Petrosini L, Mandolesi L. The beneficial effects of physical exercise on visuospatial working memory in preadolescent children. AIMS Neurosci 2021; 8:496-509. [PMID: 34877401 PMCID: PMC8611191 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2021026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between physical exercise and improvement in specific cognitive domains in children and adolescents who play sport has been recently reported, although the effects on visuospatial abilities have not yet been well explored. This study is aimed at evaluating in school-age children practicing artistic gymnastics the visuospatial memory by using a table version of the Radial Arm Maze (table-RAM) and comparing their performances with those ones who do not play any sport. The visuospatial performances of 14 preadolescent girls practicing artistic gymnastics aged between 7 and 10 years and those of 14 preadolescent girls not playing any sport were evaluated in the table-RAM forced-choice paradigm that allows disentangling short-term memory from working memory abilities. Data showed that the gymnasts obtained better performances than control group mainly in the parameters evaluating working memory abilities, such as within-phase errors and spatial span. Our findings emphasizing the role of physical activity on cognitive performances impel to promote physical exercise in educational and recreational contexts as well as to analyse the impact of other sports besides gymnastics on cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Raimondi
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Maffei
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Lardone
- Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institute de Neurosciences Des Systèmes, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France Department of Engineering, University "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioural Neurophysiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Fasciano LC, Dale LP, Shaikh SK, Little Hodge AL, Gracia B, Majdick JM, Holder AY, Ford JD. Relationship of childhood maltreatment, exercise, and emotion regulation to self-esteem, PTSD, and depression symptoms among college students. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2021; 69:653-659. [PMID: 31944906 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2019.1705837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Because physical exercise improves psychological functioning, it may be beneficial to college students with maltreatment histories. Thus, we tested the hypotheses that cumulative maltreatment would negatively affect psychological functioning, physical exercise would positively affect psychological functioning, and emotion regulation difficulties would negatively contribute to the prediction of psychological functioning. Participants: Participants were 90 undergraduate students (71.1% female, 65.6% white). Methods: Participants completed questionnaires regarding their maltreatment and physical exercise history, emotion regulation difficulties, and psychological functioning. Results: Cumulative maltreatment was negatively correlated with self-esteem and positively correlated with PTSD/depression and frequent exercise was negatively correlated with PTSD/depression. Emotion regulation difficulties impacted the relationships between maltreatment history and psychological functioning, and accounted for much of the variability in psychological functioning. Cumulative maltreatment and exercise impacted different domains of emotion regulation which in turn uniquely affect psychological functioning. Conclusions: Therapeutic interventions should aim to improve these specific emotion regulation abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Fasciano
- Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lourdes P Dale
- Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | - Samia K Shaikh
- Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Brittney Gracia
- Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jennifer M Majdick
- Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | - Alanah Y Holder
- Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | - Julian D Ford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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Brain Structure, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Executive Control Changes after a 9-Week Exercise Intervention in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11040292. [PMID: 33808225 PMCID: PMC8066797 DOI: 10.3390/life11040292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is assumed to exert beneficial effects on brain structure and executive control (EC) performance. However, empirical evidence of exercise-induced cognitive enhancement is not conclusive, and the role of CRF in younger adults is not fully understood. Here, we conducted a study in which healthy young adults took part in a moderate aerobic exercise intervention program for 9 weeks (exercise group; n = 48), or control condition of non-aerobic exercise intervention (waitlist control group; n = 72). Before and after the intervention period maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) as an indicator of CRF, the Flanker task as a measure of EC performance and grey matter volume (GMV), as well as cortical thickness via structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were assessed. Compared to the control group, the CRF (heart rate, p < 0.001; VO2max, p < 0.001) and EC performance (congruent and incongruent reaction time, p = 0.011, p < 0.001) of the exercise group were significantly improved after the 9-week aerobic exercise intervention. Furthermore, GMV changes in the left medial frontal gyrus increased in the exercise group, whereas they were significantly reduced in the control group. Likewise, analysis of cortical morphology revealed that the left lateral occipital cortex (LOC.L) and the left precuneus (PCUN.L) thickness were considerably increased in the exercise group, which was not observed in the control group. The exploration analysis confirmed that CRF improvements are linked to EC improvement and frontal grey matter changes. In summary, our results support the idea that regular endurance exercises are an important determinant for brain health and cognitive performance even in a cohort of younger adults.
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Perchtold‐Stefan CM, Fink A, Rominger C, Weiss EM, Papousek I. More habitual physical activity is linked to the use of specific, more adaptive cognitive reappraisal strategies in dealing with stressful events. Stress Health 2020; 36:274-286. [PMID: 31957957 PMCID: PMC7497133 DOI: 10.1002/smi.2929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Physical activity may improve stress resilience and well-being. However, specific links to individuals' coping abilities with stressful events are sparse. This study tested whether individuals reporting more physical activity in daily life showed a higher capacity for cognitive reappraisal in dealing with potential stressors. Ninety-eight participants reported their regular physical activity in the Freiburger Questionnaire on Physical Activity and completed a maximum performance test of their inventiveness in generating reappraisals for situations depicting real-life stressors. The latter provides scores for overall cognitive reappraisal capacity (quantity of ideas) and preference for specific cognitive reappraisal strategies (quality of ideas; positive reinterpretation; problem-oriented, de-emphasizing reappraisals). Additionally, participants' anxious and depressive dispositions and general creative abilities were assessed. Results showed no association between time spent on physical activities per week and total quantity of generated reappraisal ideas. However, a higher degree of physical activity was specifically linked to a greater relative preference for the reappraisal strategy of positive reinterpretation. Opposite associations emerged for the strategy of de-emphasizing reappraisals. The findings support the notion of more adaptive cognitive reappraisal use in more physically active individuals and may advance research on interrelationships between physical activity and cognitive and affective functions implicated in stress management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreas Fink
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of GrazGrazAustria
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Zhang Y, Fu R, Sun L, Gong Y, Tang D. How Does Exercise Improve Implicit Emotion Regulation Ability: Preliminary Evidence of Mind-Body Exercise Intervention Combined With Aerobic Jogging and Mindfulness-Based Yoga. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1888. [PMID: 31507480 PMCID: PMC6718717 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: The primary aim of the present study is to examine the effect of 8-week mind-body exercise intervention combining aerobic jogging and mindfulness-based yoga on implicit emotion regulation ability. The secondary aim is to explore the specific potential pathways by which the mind-body exercise intervention fosters implicit emotion regulation. This may help us to understand how the key components of exercise intervention contribute to emotional benefits. Methods: Sixty participants were randomly allocated to one of two parallel groups: (1) the intervention group (n = 29) and (2) the waitlist control group (n = 31). Participants were asked to fill out scales measuring mindfulness and instructed to complete an emotion regulation task to assess implicit emotion regulation ability as well as the PWC 170 Test to evaluate aerobic fitness before and after the intervention. Results: The results of the two-way repeated ANOVA revealed that 8 weeks of intervention improved implicit emotion regulation, mindfulness, and aerobic fitness levels. Path analysis showed that only improved aerobic fitness mediated the intervention effect on implicit emotion regulation ability, controlling for change in negative affect. Notably, the relationship between the effects on implicit emotion regulation ability and aerobic fitness was moderated by improved mindfulness. Conclusion: Eight weeks of mind-body exercise intervention improves implicit emotion regulation ability. The aerobic fitness may be an essential pathway which mediates the efficacy on implicit emotion regulation ability. Furthermore, different components, such as aerobic fitness and mindfulness, may interactively contribute to such emotional benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Zhang
- College of P. E. and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - RuoFan Fu
- College of P. E. and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Sun
- College of P. E. and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - YuJing Gong
- College of P. E. and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Donghui Tang
- College of P. E. and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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