Cognitive Function and Exercise

Question 1

What percent of total energy does the brain consume at rest

Answer 1

20%

Question 2

What percent of cardiac output goes to the brain at rest

Answer 2

15%

Question 3

The developing brain

Answer 3

• Increases 4x in size from birth (95% of adult size at age 6)
• Consumes 50% of body’s energy at rest
• Receives 50% of total cardiac output at rest
• Fully developed by 3rd decade of life (early-mid 20s)

Question 4

Aspects of brain plasticity

Answer 4

Neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and angiogenesis

Question 5

Neurogenesis

Answer 5

Growth of new neurons

Question 6

Synaptogenesis

Answer 6

Creation and strengthening of connections between neurons

Question 7

Angiogenesis

Answer 7

Growth of new blood vessels to support brain tissue

Question 8

Def: Cognitive function

Answer 8

The process whereby an individual is able to perceive recognize or understand thoughts and ideas

Question 9

What processes are included in cognitive function

Answer 9

• Organizing and planning
• Problem solving
• Recognition and memory
• reaction time

Question 10

What is included in global cognition

Answer 10

Fluid and crystallized cognition

Question 11

Fluid cognition

Answer 11

• Working memory
• Processing speed
• Learning and decision making
• Attention
• Flexible thinking, task switching
• Visual spatial memeory

Question 12

Crystallized Cognition

Answer 12

• Language abilities
• Verbal intellect
• reading abilities
• semantic knowledge

Question 13

How is cognition measured

Answer 13

• Measure specific domains (attention, working memory etc) or global neurocognitive function
• Some approaches use motor tasks to assess cognition

Question 14

Issues with measuring cognition

Answer 14

• Learning effects
• Language abilities
• Hearing and visual abilities
• Comparisons between tasks

Question 15

Commonly used cognitive tests

Answer 15

• Montreal cognitive Assessment
• Eriksen Flanker task
• Stroop test
• Trail making test
• Digit-symbol substitution test

Question 16

Montreal Cognition Assessment

Answer 16

• Screening tool for cognitive impairment
• Visuospatial Abilities
• Language abilities
• memory and delayed recall
• Executive function
  Score of test gives cut off for normal> mild cognitive impairment> dementia

Question 17

Eriksen Flanker Test

Answer 17

Inhibitory control, selective attention, processing speed
- State direction middle arrow points
- Could be congruent condition (all same way), incongruent (other arrows are in opposite way) or neutral (other shapes aren’t arrows)

Question 18

Stroop Test

Answer 18

• Selective attention, processing speed
• reading is a very automatic process
• must suppress the automatic drive to read word and instead say the color of the ink

Question 19

Trail Making Test

Answer 19

• Task-switching, visual search, processing speed
• Version A - connect numbers in sequence as fast as possible
• Version B - connect number-letter-number in sequences as fast as possible
• time to completion

Question 20

Digit-Symbol Substitution Test

Answer 20

• Working memory, attention, visual search abilities, processing speed
• Match symbols to their appropriate number as fast as you can
• # correct in 90 seconds

Question 21

fMRI

Answer 21

• Measures blood oxygen level dependent response to cognitive testing
• Surrogate for brain activity
• Excellent spatial resolution but cannot measure rapid responses (poor temporal)

Question 22

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Answer 22

• Measure electrical activity of brain cells in response to cognitive challenges
• Excellent temporal resolution, cannot determine where the brain activity is happening (poor Spatial)

Question 23

What impacts cognitive function

Answer 23

• Genetics
• In utero exposure
• early-life experiences
• social economic status
• Parental education
• Environmental factors
• daily behaviours

Question 24

What daily behaviours impact cognitive function

Answer 24

• Diet
• Physical Activity
• Sleep
• Sedentary behaviour
• Drugs

Question 25

Physical activity and the Developing Brain

Answer 25

Children with higher physical fitness have better cognitive function
- Memory
- Attention
- Self-control
- Decision-making abilities
Kids with higher perform better academically and have larger brain volume (hippocampus - memory, learning and decision making)

Question 26

Aerobic activity and brain tissue loss in aging humans

Answer 26

Higher cardiorespiratory fitness associated with less brain tissue loss in older adults

Question 27

Exercise and neurological disease study

Answer 27

• 1700 older adults reported activity time in past month
• divided into genetic risk for alzheimer’s (homo vs heterozygous)
• Measured cognitive function
• Homozygous = increased risk of alzheimer’s

Question 28

Exercise training and cognition

Answer 28

Following exercise intervention;
- Improved cognition in multiple domains compared to control
- aerobic combined with strength-training or flexibility superior to aerobic alone

Question 29

Physical Activity and ADHD

Answer 29

Acute exercise in children with ADHD immediate improvements in selective attention and increased brain activity during cognitive tests
- significant improvement on standardized tests post-exercise

Question 30

HIT and attention

Answer 30

• 20 on 10 off tabata, 4 intervals per exercise, 1 minute rest
  RESULTS
• Faster processing speed following HIIE trial
• Fewer errors following HIIE trial
• Greater speed and accuracy on measures of selective attention following HIIE

Question 31

Resistance Training and functional plasticity of the aging brain

Answer 31

• 1 year resistance training: 1 or 2 x week
• Both groups say improvement in cognitive function, selective attention and conflict resolution
• group 2 increase brain activity during flanker task, increased brain resources

Question 32

Does order of combined training matter for cognitive improvement

Answer 32

• 2 single conditions: PE (30 min Mod), COG (30 min computer training program)
• 2 Combination conditions: PE+COG, COG+PE
• Exercise + cognitive training improved cognition regardless of order
• Exercise alone sowed the lowest improvement