Module 1: Exercise Neuroscience

why is exercise of interest in public health studies?

• somatic and longevity benefits

• less known benefits is CNS and brain benefit from exercise

• from a brain health perspective on a pop’n level, want to promote these benefits regardless of disease prevention capacity in relation to cardiovascular disease, disease mediating states like obesity, etc.

what are examples of how we can look at the relationship btwn exercise and the brain?

• brain-as-outcome: what are the effects of exercise training on brain function?

• brain-as predictor: can brain activation patterns predict who will or will not maintain consistent exercise habits over time?

• brain-as-mediator: do exercise benefits on academic performance occur as a result of brain health benefits of exercise?

do i want to divide up this question?

what is an example of the relationship btwn the brain and exercise where the brain acts as a predictor?

Do exercise benefits on academic performance occur as a result of brain health benefits of exercise?

what is the functional definition of brain health?

• State of brain functioning that

• enables flexibly adaptive emotional and behavioral engagement

• with the social and physical environment

• in meaningful spheres of everyday functioning and lifelong trajectories.

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what is the physiological definition of brain health?

• Structural parameters of the brain

• that enable full function and plasticity

• in response to physiological and environmental demand.

what are some of the ways we measure brain health?

• •Cognitive task performance

• •Structural brain imaging: ie. fmri

• •Task-related (functional) brain imaging

  • within MRI paradigms full structural imaging; grayscale image commonly presented in functional imaging; changes in functional activation: patterns of BOLD response that are presumed to be a function of neuro-environment,

• •Network integrity/connectivity

  • network integrity: connectivity imaging within mri as well as eeg and fnri

• •Network resilience and flexibility:

  • how well a network resists a suppressive force or activity and the extent to which its able to regain function

• •Some self-reported dimensions (e.g., freedom from memory problems, concentration difficulties, word finding difficulties).

  • self-reported symptoms/ absence of cognitive dysfuntion like cognitive lapses (ie. reports of memory lapse)

map out the areas of some brain regions and structures

figure out how to do this!

where is the dlPFC located?

the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex is located BLANK

not complete agreement on where it begins and ends, varies btwn people slightly (half a cm in any direction), rough estimation in the diagram

figure out how to describe the area of the brain in terms of descriptors from chapter 2

what is the dlpfc involved in?

• in short, self-control and memory processes

how is the dlPFC involved in self-control and memory processes?

• involved in self-control and memory processes (ie. avoiding tempting snacks/ choosing healthier food options generally speaking- would have a lot of other things involved though like personal self standards; at more elemental level, trying to suspend response to stimulus; ie. trying not to open IG/ email when entering classroom because that's what you normally do; relying on dlPFC to substitute an alternative behaviour despite the other one being cued

• would see increases in activity imaging in this part of the brain when opening up laptop and trying to resist the default usual response

• working memory: info actively working with in mind- limited amount of info within your conscious that relying on BLANK; not just self control, but consolation of elementary cognitive function; ie. having dietary goals at forefront of mind when at starbucks trying to order something healthier, works together with that self-control piece

• working with that information, making a decision within that conscious space, at the same time holding that together, your goal together with your options and arriving at a decision

where is the precentral gyrus located?

i actually have no clue- DC this!

what is the precentral gyrus involved in?

movement is very central as well as body sensation and control

where is the postcentral gyrus located?

i don’t even know- DC this!

what is the postcentral gyrus involved in?

involved in various aspects of sensory processing

where is the tpj located?

the temporal parietal junction is located in the BLANK area of the brain, and is the pink region of the brain

exists at nexus of temporal lobe and parietal lobe

kind of towards the back; brain as boxing glove, thumb is the temporal lobe; where the thumb intersects with at the posteriori aspect with the rest of the brain

eyeballs and nose are close to the purple part in the first diagram; lateral view

DC!

what is the tpj involved in, are how would this be important in the realm of health communication?

region of brain active at times we're trying to use mental representation when things are not there

health communication with tpj helps with how messages are received and processed easier and if they will be shared; imagination at neuroscience level

which lobe of the brain are the visual cortices (v1-v5) located in, and where is this located?

occipital lobe, located in BLANK DC!

why are the visual cortices important in health communication?

presenting health communication that you want people to be processing a lot on a visual level (eyecatching), see a lot of activation here

where is the dmPFC located in the brain?

middle part of both hemispheres in the prefrontal cortex

medial: toward center of brain

lateral: towards side of brain

dorsal: towards the top

DC!

what is the dmPFC involved in?

the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex involved in self-relevance processing- when processing information (ie. sensory apparatus taking in info through eyes initially processed through visual cotices), going to see activity here if info that you're seeing is PERSONALLY relevant; can also be auditory or other sensory information

where is the mPFC located in the brain?

if you go to frontal poles (down from dorsal aspect of pfc): go to medial prefrontal cortex

DC!

what is the mPFC involved in?

• evaluative processing, decision making: starbucks lineup scenario, identified 3 different options of what to eat- going to be doing value computations for three items you're choosing based on likelihood of it being tasty, contributing to health goals, etc. whatever is important to you

• medial prefrontal cortex

where is the corpus callosum in the brain?

where is the hippocampus and amygdala in the brain?

what is the concept of neural plasticity?

notion that brain structure and function can be altered through behavior, experience and/or other environmental inputs

how can neuroplasticity manifest?

• –Growth of new neurons

• –Changed connections between neurons (more connectivity or less)

  • both more and less connectivity can be beneficial; redundant connections that are not used; efficiency could be better without these connections; both can help with info processing

• –Change in function of existing neurons or structures (functional adaptation).

  • flexibility and adaptability in brain- changes overtime and in relation to experiences

what is an example of the relationship btwn neural plasticity and exercise?

can exercise improve neural plasticity?

for the group of studies studies that looked at exercise neuroscience, what general factors did they look at?

• specific type of exercise

  • aerobic vs anaerobic

  • sustained vs acute, etc.

• specific types of cognitive function

• specific type of pop’n:

  • women vs men

  • older vs younger

  • initially fit vs otherwise

what are executive functions?

• High-level cognitive control processes that serve the ultimate purpose of enabling:

  • self-directed action,

  • sequencing of behaviors,

  • and goal pursuit.

• Very relevant in daily life, as they enable:

  • active choices,

  • consistent behavior implementation,

  • and freedom from distracting or goal-inconsistent activities.

executive functions highly relevant to early studies on exercise

EF very closely linked to operation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but one step more general

true or false: attention functions are among the most highly evolved cognitive processes, phylogenetically speaking

• false: executive functions

• much more developed in humans than primates, and more developed in primates than any lower organisms (the latter may possess them only to a limited degree).

what cognitive function is the most sensitive to the effects of age?

executive functions are the most sensitive to the effects of age, and decline faster and earlier than even memory, in late life.

when problems are arising with executive functions, what does it show up as?

• -Difficulty sequencing behaviors (e.g., self-care, ADLs)

• -Susceptibility to distraction

• Inconsistencies in actions that lead to desired outcomes.

what is a sign of preserved executive functioning in older adults?

people have relatively preserved executive functions if able to live independently; more likely to maintain sequencing of behaviours (ie. food preparation, self-care), able to make use of new learning

Very strong predictors of functional independence in older adults; highly impaired in Alzheimer's and other ND disorders…

what are some task measures that measure executive function

• -Stroop task

• Flanker task

• -Go-NoGo

• -Trails B

• -Wisconsin Card Sorting Task

what is the stroop task?