Exercise and Cognitive Function

This textbook focuses on the relationship between physical exercise and cognition, a very timely and important topic with major theoretical and practical implications for a number of areas including ageing, neurorehabilitation, depression and dementia. It brings together a wide range of analytical approaches and experimental results to provide a very useful overview and synthesis of this growing field of study. The book is divided into three parts: Part I covers the conceptual, theoretical and methodological underpinnings and issues. Part II focuses on advances in exercise and cognition research, with appropriate sub-sections on ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’ exercise and cognition. Part III presents an overview of the area and makes suggestions for the direction of future research. This text provides a cutting-edge examination of this increasingly important area written by leading experts from around the world.  The book will prove invaluable to researchers and practitioners in a number of fields, including exercise science, cognitive science, neuroscience and clinical medicine. Key Features: Unique in-depth investigation of the relationship between physical exercise and brain function. Covers theoretical approaches and experimental results and includes chapters on the latest developments in research design. Examines the effects of both acute and chronic exercise on brain function. International list of contributors, who are leading researchers in their field.

Table of Contents:
Preface ix Contributors xi PART 1 THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES 1 1 Acute exercise and psychological functions: a cognitive-energetic approach 3 Michel Audiffren 1.1 Varieties of exercise effects on psychological variables 4 1.2 The cognitive psychology approach 9 1.3 The energetic approach 11 1.4 Exercise effects and cognitive-energetic models 14 1.5 Sensorimotor and cognitive functions affected by exercise 24 1.6 Limits of the cognitive-energetic approach and future perspectives 33 1.7 Conclusion 39 2 Exercise and cognitive function: a neuroendocrinological explanation 41 Terry McMorris 2.1 Catecholamines and 5-hydroxytryptamine as brain neurotransmitters 41 2.2 How exercise induces increases in brain concentrations of noradrenaline, dopamine, cortisol and 5-hydroxytryptamine 43 2.3 Exercise, catecholamines, cortisol and cognition: research 50 2.4 Task type 59 2.5 Discussion 63 2.6 Developing a neuroendocrinological model for an interaction between exercise and cognition 67 3 The transient hypofrontality theory and its implications for emotion and cognition 69 Arne Dietrich 3.1 Clearing the ground 71 3.2 Exercise-induced transient hypofrontality 73 3.3 Implications for emotion 79 3.4 Implications for cognition 81 3.5 Reconceptualizing the existing data in the field 87 4 Methodological issues: research approaches, research design, and task selection 91 Phillip D. Tomporowski 4.1 Research approaches 92 4.2 Research design issues 99 4.3 Task selection issues 106 4.4 Conclusions and recommendations 112 PART 2 ACUTE EXERCISE AND COGNITION 115 5 Exercise, dehydration and cognitive function 117 Terry McMorris 5.1 Exercise-induced dehydration and cognitive function 119 5.2 Discussion 128 5.3 Conclusions 134 6 Exercise, nutrition and cognition 135 Adam David Cunliffe and Gulshanara Begum 6.1 Fatigue and limits to human performance 136 6.2 Assessing the effects of exercise and nutrition on cognitive performance 138 6.3 Nutrition, exercise and cognitive performance 142 6.4 Micronutrients, exercise and cognitive performance 145 6.5 Nutritional ergogenic aids and cognitive performance 147 6.6 Integration of research observations 148 6.7 Challenges in research 150 6.8 Conclusion 151 7 A chronometric and electromyographic approach to the effect of exercise on reaction time 153 Karen Davranche and Michel Audiffren 7.1 Research 156 7.2 Conclusion 159 8 Acute aerobic exercise effects on event-related brain potentials 161 Charles H. Hillman, Matthew Pontifex and Jason R. Themanson 8.1 Executive control 163 8.2 Neuroelectric measurement 164 8.3 Event-related brain potentials during exercise 165 8.4 Event-related brain potentials following exercise 170 8.5 Future directions and conclusions 177 9 Exercise and decision-making in team games 179 Terry McMorris 9.1 Designing a decision-making test 180 9.2 Research results 183 9.3 Ecological validity and future research 189 9.4 Implications for team games players and coaches 192 10 Blood glucose and brain metabolism in exercise 193 Niels H. Secher, Thomas Seifert, Henning B. Nielsen and Bjørn Quistorff 10.1 Cerebral metabolism during exercise 194 10.2 Cerebral oxygenation 202 10.3 Cerebral metabolism 203 10.4 Acute hypoglycemia 209 10.5 Conclusions 209 10.6 Future research 210 Acknowledgements 210 PART 3 CHRONIC EXERCISE AND COGNITION 211 11 An integrated approach to the effect of acute and chronic exercise on cognition: the linked role of individual and task constraints 213 Caterina Pesce 11.1 The gap between acute and chronic exercise research 213 11.2 Individual constraints on the acute exercise–cognition relationship: the role of chronic exercise effects 215 11.3 Effect of physical fitness: links to exercise intensity and to the time relation between physical exercise and cognitive task 218 11.4 Effect of cognitive expertise: links to cognitive task complexity, exercise intensity and duration, and age 219 11.5 Effect of motor coordination skills: links to physical exercise complexity, intensity and duration 223 11.6 Bridging the gap between acute and chronic exercise studies 225 12 Chronic exercise and cognition in older adults 227 Jennifer Etnier 12.1 Theoretical underpinnings 228 12.2 Empirical evidence 230 12.3 Moderators of the relationship 245 12.4 Practical conclusions 245 12.5 Challenges 246 12.6 Future research 247 13 Exercise and cognition in children 249 Catherine L. Davis and Kate Lambourne 13.1 Definition of terms 249 13.2 Literature review 250 13.3 The Medical College of Georgia study 254 13.4 Potential mechanisms 262 13.5 Summary and recommendations for future research 266 14 Chronic exercise and developmental disabilities 269 James Zagrodnik and Michael Horvat 14.1 Defining terms 269 14.2 Research investigating the effects of exercise on cognition among the developmentally disabled 272 14.3 Problems to address and future research considerations 279 14.4 Practical applications and conclusions 282 15 Chronic exercise in brain diseases 285 Laura Eggermont and Erik Scherder 15.1 Observational studies of physical activity 286 15.2 Physical activity intervention studies 288 15.3 Physical activity, cognition and different types of dementia 298 15.4 Role of vascular disease 302 15.5 Neurodegenerative disease, nitric oxide, vascular disease and physical activity 305 15.6 Final conclusion 305 PART 4 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 307 16 Summary and direction for future research 309 Terry McMorris, Phillip D. Tomporowski, and Michel Audiffren 16.1 Summary: emerging theoretical approaches 309 16.2 Summary of research results 312 16.3 Future theoretically driven research 314 16.4 Future applied research 316 16.5 General summary 317 References 319 Index 375