Abstract
A single bout of aerobic exercise improves executive function; however, the mechanism(s) underlying this improvement remains unclear. Here, we employed a 20-min bout of aerobic exercise, and at pre- and immediate post-exercise sessions examined executive function via pro- (i.e., saccade to veridical target location) and anti-saccade (i.e., saccade mirror symmetrical to a target) performance and pupillometry metrics. Notably, tonic and phasic pupillometry responses in oculomotor control provided a framework to determine the degree that arousal and/or executive resource recruitment influence behavior. Results demonstrated a pre- to post-exercise decrease in pro- and anti-saccade reaction times (p = 0.01) concurrent with a decrease and increase in tonic baseline pupil size and task-evoked pupil dilations, respectively (ps < 0.03). Such results demonstrate that an exercise-induced improvement in saccade performance is related to an executive-mediated “shift” in physiological and/or psychological arousal, supported by the locus coeruleus norepinephrine system to optimize task engagement.
Highlights
Top-down executive control includes response suppression, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, and each component is essential for daily living [1]
The prosaccade reaction time (RT) (260 ms, SD = 42) were shorter than the antisaccades (302 ms, SD = 36; Figure 2A), and the difference scores in Figure 2B show that RTs for the pro- and anti-saccades decreased from the pre- to post-exercise assessments
The prosaccade RTs (260 ms, SD Brain Sci. 2021, 11, 1048= 42) were shorter than the antisaccades (302 ms, SD = 36; Figure 2A), and the difference scores in Figure 2B show that RTs for the pro- and anti-saccades decreased from the preto post-exercise assessments
Summary
Top-down executive control includes response suppression, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, and each component is essential for daily living [1]. A single bout of aerobic and/or resistance training improves executive function [2,3] and is a benefit that persists for up to 60 min [4]. Arousal is a multidimensional construct (i.e., physiological, cognitive/psychological, and affective components) [5], and little research has examined the effect of exercise on the distinct factors clustered within the term. A crucial component of cognitive/psychological arousal is the locus coeruleus norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which is a collection of noradrenergic neurons within the brainstem that have an essential role in modulating the neural system’s level of alertness and the brain’s attentional state [6]. The present investigation sought to determine whether a single bout of aerobic exercise influences LC-NE activity and how a putative change may influence a post exercise benefit to executive function
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