PA and Psych: Cognitive function, emotional well being, and QoL

cognitive function

• process where individual perceives, recognizes, and understands thoughts and ideas

executive functioning

• processes that control cognitive functions toward goal-directed behavior

• ex: scheduling, planning, working memory

• supported largely by pre frontal cortex

epidemiological studies and chronic exercise

• Sofi et al.

• higher PA levels result in 38% lower probability of cognitive decline

• lower to moderate PA levels result in 35% lower probability of cognitive decline

school based studies and chronic exercise

• CDC 2010

• school based PA results in greater academic performance

experimental studies and chronic exercise

• Kramer et al.

• older adults and aerobic exercise v. stretching only group

• exercise group increased CV fitness, performance on cognitive tasks controlled by prefrontal cortex

mediators of chronic exercise and cognitive function

• lies on casual pathway to explain why or how effect takes place

Moderator of chronic exercise and cognitive function

• do not lie on the causal pathway

• affects strength/direction of relationship

selective improvement hypothesis

• kramer et al.

• exercise improves aspects of cognitive function differently

• exercise ha greatest benefit on executive function (goal directed)

cardiovascular fitness hypothesis

• PA → fitness → cognitive performance

• improved oxygen tranport and metabolism

• more efficient neurotransmitter function

cerebrovascular reserve hypothesis

• enhanced cognitive function is mediated by circulation in the brain

• beter cerbral flow and more blood in brain is tissues in resting state and enhanced ability to respond to stimuli

molecular mechanisms

• exercise increase internal growth factors: BDNF, VEGF, and IGF-1

• contributes to hippocampus neurogenesis and capillary growth

cellular mechanisms

• exercise increase neuroplasticity (capacity to grow new neurons and strengthen synapses)

• neurogenesis and synaptogenesis

peripheral mechanisms

• exercise improves: body comp, blood lipid levels, BP, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, lower inflammation

• indirectly the brain and bod impact each other

Alzheimers disease

• most common cause of dementia

• loss of cognitive function and behavioral abilities

• characterized by widespread of neuronal cell death

hallmark of alzhimers

• beta amyloid plaques

• tau neurofibrillary tangles

• cell death

• acetylcholine deficits

exercise and older adults

• larger amounts of PA associated with reduced risk of developing cognitive impairment, including alzhimers disease

• PA guidlines

cognitive function in children

• pa has the largest affect on executive function, attention, and academic achievement

• PA associated with improved attention, inhibition, and impulsivity

emotion

• immediate brief response to a sciatic stimulus that requires cognitive input

• cause usually identifiable

• more variable than mood but can affect mood

Mood

• affective state influenced by overall disposition and by emotions

• cause not always identifiable

• can alter the way we process information

Affect

• reflexive or no cognitive input

• Vance (level of unpleasant or pleasant feelings) and activation (intensity of feeling from high to low) are both dimensions

• more general valenced response

circumflex model of affect

• 2 dimensions: valence and activation

• 4 quadrants: pleasant-activated, pleasant-unactivated, unpleasant-unactivated, unpleasant-activated

Affect after moderate intensity exercise

• positive affect increases

• negative affect either unchanged or reduced

Affect after high intentsity exercise

• depends on fitness level:

• less fit = negative affect increase as positive affect decreases

• more fit = increase in positive affect

in task response of affect

• people feel better after exercise but how they feel during exercise may be ht problem

• affect gets porgressivly more negative as exercise intensity increases, therefore mood results in more positive affect changes

staleness syndrome

• due to overtraining

• increased negative mental health and poorer performance

• ‘ice burg’ of elite athlete

exercise dependent syndrome

• primary dependence: exercise is an end in itsself

• secondary dependence: exercise is used to control body composition with ED usually

quality of life definition

• subjective and objective evaluations of the goodness of ones life overall

health related quality of life

• subcomponent quality of life

• 5 dimension: physical functioning, emotional functioning and well being, health status, cognitive functioning, and social functioning

Objective HRQoL measures

• quantitive in nature

• can measure overall HRQoL or indivudal components

Individual objective measure of HRQoL

• number of lbs person can bench

• days patient was in hospital

overall approaches for HRQoL

• quality adjusted life years (QALY)

• calculates the number that indicated quality ones remaining years of life

subjective measure of HRQoL

• assess the individuals perceptions of the quality or goodness of various domain of HRQoL

• 36-item short form health survey

• more closely associated with important health related outcomes

physical functioning dimension

• older adults that did Thai chi reported better performance of physical activities and ADL

Perceptions of health status dimension of HRQoL

• women and men scheduled to undergo chemotherapy received moderate exercise program

• both groups reported less nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy

perceptions of emotional well being

• exercise shown to decrease feelings of depression and anxiety