Exercise and Cognitive Function

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Historically, there has been a separation between research focused on cognitive function and physical function. However, it is clear that the physical behaviour is importantly coupled to cognitive resources. The reverse also seems to be true. There is accumulating evidence that physical behaviourand, specific to this proposal, physical exerciseinfluences cognitive function both acutely and chronically. Physical exercise is an attractive approach to enhance and maintain cognitive capacity, in part because its benefits extend well beyond cognitive function. At the core of my research program is this question: how does physical exercise influence cognitive function? The general answer is that there are likely several complementary mechanismsincluding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotransmitters, and stress hormonesthat are differentially affected contingent on the properties of the physical exercise (e.g. intensity, duration, modality, timing) and the characteristics of the individual (e.g. age, fitness). Current evidence poorly differentiates the relative cognitive benefits by exercise dose, at least partly due to variability in design and individual characteristics across studies. Furthermore, whether the variables that influence the short-term cognitive effects of a single-exercise session can be used to predict the accumulated effects of exercise training is a critical unknown that is necessary to define the optimal exercise training by the individual to enhance cognitive function in the short- and long-term. As a result, the goal of this 5-year program is to advance our understanding of the specific exercise and individual variables that influence the acute and accumulated cognitive effects of exercise over a single bout and a series of sessions. In a series of inquiries, the cognitive response to a single exercise session and to repeated exercise sessions will be characterized among young and older adults using neuropsychological tests and electroencephalography (event-related potentials). The influence of exercise- and individual-level variables including dose, age, and fitness will be evaluated. The proposed research program will provide foundational knowledge regarding the optimal exercise parameters specific to the individual to enhance and/or preserve cognitive function. The research program has enormous potential payoff given the expected costs of age-related cognitive decline.