Effect of acute physical exercise on motor sequence memory

Blanca Marin Bosch,Aurélien Bringard,Sophie Schwartz,Nathalie Imobersteg,Kinga Igloi,Maria Grazia Logrieco,Aurélien Thomas,Estelle Lauer,Guido Ferretti

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-72108-1

Blanca Marin Bosch, Aurélien Bringard + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72108-1

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Abstract

Acute physical exercise improves memory functions by increasing neural plasticity in the hippocampus. In animals, a single session of physical exercise has been shown to boost anandamide (AEA), an endocannabinoid known to promote hippocampal plasticity. Hippocampal neuronal networks encode episodic memory representations, including the temporal organization of elements, and can thus benefit motor sequence learning. While previous work established that acute physical exercise has positive effects on declarative memory linked to hippocampal plasticity mechanisms, its influence on memory for motor sequences, and especially on neural mechanisms underlying possible effects, has been less investigated. Here we studied the impact of acute physical exercise on motor sequence learning, and its underlying neurophysiological mechanisms in humans, using a cross-over randomized within-subjects design. We measured behavior, fMRI activity, and circulating AEA levels in fifteen healthy participants while they performed a serial reaction time task before and after a short period of exercise (moderate or high intensity) or rest. We show that exercise enhanced motor sequence memory, significantly for high intensity exercise and tending towards significance for moderate intensity exercise. This enhancement correlated with AEA increase, and dovetailed with local increases in caudate nucleus and hippocampus activity. These findings demonstrate that acute physical exercise promotes sequence learning, thus attesting the overarching benefit of exercise to hippocampus-related memory functions.

Highlights

Acute physical exercise improves memory functions by increasing neural plasticity in the hippocampus
This study shows that one short bout of acute physical exercise at both moderate and high intensities increases AEA levels and hippocampal and striatal recruitment during serial reaction time task (SRTT), dovetailed with benefits for motor learning performance
Participants successfully learned the sequence, as shown by their better performance for sequence compared to random blocks

Summary

Introduction

Acute physical exercise improves memory functions by increasing neural plasticity in the hippocampus. A recent study reported that overnight consolidation of motor sequence learning was impaired in hippocampal amnesiacs compared to matched controls, despite similar initial learning[21], further supporting a key contribution of the hippocampus to the consolidation of declarative memory and motor sequences. Based on these observations from different research fields, we hypothesized that one bout of exercise should promote hippocampal (and striatal) activity and functions, plausibly together with increased circulating levels of AEA, and enhance the consolidation of memory for motor sequences. The effects of exercising on SRTT learning were assessed by comparing, for each participant, performance improvement from Session 1 to Session 2 from each exercise condition

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