PSY2004 W3 Reading Flashcards
Beneficial effects of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and cognition.
Does exercise explain the variance in cognitive varaibles ?
although most intervention studies on the effects of exercising on cognition have used a cardiovascular training as the experimental condition, the increase of cardiovascular fitness explained only a small amount of variance in the cognitive variables.
What type of exercise prevent cognitive ageing?
Their results suggest that resistance training and coordination training might be promising candidates to prevent cognitive decline and to enhance cognitive functioning
What imprvoes executive function?
They reported significant improvements in executive functions for the resistance training compared to a balance and toning program. Earlier studies had reported that resistance training improved short-term memory and attention in older individuals
Does physical activity selectively improve some cogntiive functions?
The “selective improvement” hypothesis of physical exercise (Kramer et al., 1999).
In a randomized intervention study, in which the effects of a six-month aerobic exercise training were compared to a stretch ing training, they reported an increased performance in tasks that required a high degree of executive control (e.g. response compatibility and task switching tasks) after the aerobic training but not after the stretching training.
What are the two types of intervention studies that address cognitive benefits of physical activities?
Acute effects of exercising on cognitive variable (measured immediately)
Chronic effects of exercise proggrams which last for weeks or months.
What are cohot studies with longitudinal designs not able to prove?
Cohort studies with longitudinal designs are not able to prove causal relationship either, their designs are more able to track sequence of events and to check for possible confounds.
What do cross-sectional studients failed to do?
fail to make any kind of inference ocncering cuasal relationships between physical activity and cognition.
What is physical acitivty?
“any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure”
What is physial exercise?
“a subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposeful in the sense that the improvement or maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness is the objective”
