A single session of exercise as a modulator of short-term learning in healthy individuals. (26th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sage, Michael D.; Beyer, Kit B.; Laylor, Mark; Liang, Carmen; Roy, Eric A.; McIlroy, William E.
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience letters. Volume 629(2016)
• Page Start: 92
• Page End: 98
• Publication Date: 2016-08-26
• Subjects: Memory -- Arousal -- Response time -- Exercise -- Learning; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Research -- Periodicals; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Neuroanatomie -- Périodiques; Neuropharmacologie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 617.48
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.06.064
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3940

Abstract

Highlights: Evaluated how moderate aerobic exercise modulates short-term learning. Response time was not significantly affected by moderate intensity exercise. Participants may have improved errors post-exercise relative to other testing time points. Abstract: Background: A single session of aerobic exercise is linked to faster motor responses; however, the effect on rate of short-term learning is less clear. The objective was to evaluate the influence of a single bout of aerobic exercise on the rate of short-term acquisition of a shape-letter association task requiring a motor response. Methods: 23 [11 females, age 20.8 ± 2.7 years] healthy young adults were evaluated using a randomly assigned crossover design which was counterbalanced for order before and after moderate (exercise) and light (control) intensity cycle ergometry. Participants performed 3 blocks, with each block consisting of one round of training and testing. During training, participants were tasked with learning 6 unique shape-letter associations. Subsequent testing required a key press response to a visually presented shape pattern. Response time and error rates were used to assess acquisition over the 3 blocks of testing. Results: Mean response time was faster post-exercise relative to the other testing periods, and approached statistical significance compared to post-control (p < 0.07). However, no significant difference in response time reduction (difference between test block 1 and test block 3) was identified between the four evaluations (pre and post the exercise and control conditions). Error rate reduction (test block 1 minus test block 3) revealed that individuals had the smallest change in error rate post-exercise (p < 0.05). Follow-up analyses revealed fewer errors in test block 1 and test block 2 post-exercise which approached statistical significance (p = 0.06) suggesting near-perfect error rates were obtained after only 2 testing blocks post-exercise compared to 3 blocks in the other testing periods. Conclusions: Support for augmentation of short-term learning was mixed as errors were reduced post-exercise while response time was not different between evaluations. Future work should include neurophysiological evaluation and a retention test to better elucidate the influence of aerobic exercise on rate of short-term learning.