Characterizing the fundamental mechanisms of psycho-physiological coupling in the human brain

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The human brain has evolved the profound ability to adapt and enhance its own structure and function in response to stimuli like exercise and cognitively challenging activities (i.e., psycho-physiological coupling). Improvements in brain function occur immediately, as a single bout of exercise enhances cognitive functions like attention, memory, and processing-speed for up to one hour post-exercise. This post-exercise period, when brain function is enhanced, may be a window of opportunity to prescribe cognitively demanding activities, given that the brain is more receptive and responsive to cognitive challenges. In support of this, interventions that combine exercise and cognitive training result in greater improvements in brain function compared to performing either modality alone. However, the mechanisms by which exercise improves brain function are poorly understood. It has been proposed that exercise is a "neurogenic trigger", that stimulates elevations in cerebral blood flow and increases levels of neuroactive chemicals like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and lactate. These mechanisms, in turn, improve cognition and enhance brain function for subsequent cognitively demanding activity. The proposed research program is guided by the overarching hypothesis that using a neurogenic trigger to strategically prime the brain before cognitively demanding activity will maximize brain function outcomes. The long-term vision of this research program is to uncover the mechanisms underlying psycho-physiological coupling to neurogenic triggers, and to characterize how these mechanisms enhance brain function. To achieve the long-term vision of the proposed research program, our research will: i) explore the mechanisms by which neurogenic triggers increase BDNF, ii) investigate whether increasing BDNF or lactate alone, without exercise, improves brain function, and iii) characterize how novel neurogenic triggers affect BDNF, cerebral blood flow, and cognition. Behavioural strategies that protect and improve brain function over the lifespan are highly warranted, especially given Canada's rapidly aging population. This research program will advance the current understanding of the fundamental mechanisms by which neurogenic triggers improve brain function in both males and females. These discoveries will elucidate novel behavioural strategies that can be used to prime the brain prior to cognitively engaging activity. Such a strategic approach can be applied to educational, occupational, and neurorehabilitation settings. This research will provide the mechanistic foundation required to optimize brain function across the lifespan.