Experimental Investigation of the Time Course Effects of Acute Exercise on False Episodic Memory.

Paul Loprinzi,Ali Siddiqui

doi:10.3390/jcm7070157

Abstract

Previous experimental work suggests that acute exercise may positively influence the accurate recall of past episodic events. However, few studies have examined whether acute exercise also reduces the number of false episodic memories. We evaluated this paradigm in conjunction with an examination of the temporal effects of acute exercise, which have previously been shown to play an important role in subserving episodic memory function. Twenty young adults participated in three experimental visits, including a non-exercise control visit, a visit involving an acute bout (20 min) of moderate-intensity exercise occurring prior to the memory task, and a visit involving an acute bout of exercise occurring during the encoding of the memory task. All visits were counterbalanced and occurred at least 24 h apart. The Deese–Roediger–McDermott (DRM) Paradigm, involving a separate word list trial for each visit, was employed to assess accurate and false episodic memory recall. For each visit, a short-term (immediate recall) and a long-term (25-min delay) memory recall was assessed. For both time points, the visit that involved exercise prior to encoding resulted in better short-term and long-term memory function (F(2) = 11.56, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.38). For both time points, the control visit resulted in a greater number of false memories. These findings suggest that acute moderate-intensity exercise may help to increase the accurate recall of past episodic memories and may help to reduce the rate of false memories.

Highlights

Declarative memory includes the recall of fact-based information, referred to as semantic memory, in which episodic memory involves the retrospective recall of events or episodes occurring in a spatial or temporal pattern [1]
The potential temporal effects of acute exercise on false memory is examined, as previous work [5,6,7,8,9,10] in the declarative memory domain suggests that acute exercise, which occurs prior to memory encoding as opposed to during encoding or consolidation, may be optimal in enhancing memory function
Two outcome measures were derived from this memory assessment, including an episodic memory recall and a false memory recall

Summary

Introduction

Declarative memory includes the recall of fact-based information, referred to as semantic memory, in which episodic memory involves the retrospective recall of events or episodes occurring in a spatial or temporal pattern [1]. Confabulated memories, refers to the perception of recalling a past event or episode, but the specific memory never occurred. Such experiences may occur as the result of the encoding or retrieval of a semantically related memory. The potential temporal effects of acute exercise on false memory is examined, as previous work [5,6,7,8,9,10] in the declarative memory domain suggests that acute exercise, which occurs prior to memory encoding as opposed to during encoding or consolidation, may be optimal in enhancing memory function

Study Design

Participants

Experimental Conditions

Memory Assessments

Statistical Analysis

Results