How does exercise cause cognitive improvements? An examination of underlying mechanisms, mediators, and implications for public health communications.

经常锻炼的好处在文献中得到了充分证实，政府政策也鼓励这样做。在公共卫生运动中，还定期向普通民众规定锻炼，强调锻炼对身体健康的好处，而不是对认知健康的好处。然而，从心理学的角度来看，研究表明运动可以改善认知功能，并可用于治疗一些神经退行性疾病。由于缺乏解释运动介导的认知改善或其中介变量的潜在机制的科学知识，认知益处可能部分被低估。朴茨茅斯大学（University of Portsmouth）正在探索这些问题，最近的一项研究确定了运动如何影响认知的两种可能的解释：(1)运动对认知产生直接的积极影响，或者(2)运动改善了由于其他因素（如睡眠剥夺）对认知产生的任何持续的负面影响。回答这个最初的问题将为未来研究运动-认知关系的潜在机制奠定基础。这是必要的，以便在未来的政策和公众交流中更清楚地了解运动的好处和用途。因此，本博士将努力开发和试点测试一个科学框架来研究运动对认知的影响，通过检查经历了不同程度的运动和睡眠剥夺的参与者的神经电活动。从长远来看，由此产生的研究方法可能会在以后的研究中使用，对运动对认知健康的益处产生积极影响的社会政策。

The benefits of regular exercise are well established in the literature and are encouraged in government policies.Exercise is also regularly prescribed to the general population in public health campaigns where the physical,rather than cognitive, health benefits of exercise are emphasised. However, from a psychological perspective,research has shown exercise improves cognitive function, and can be utilised in the treatment of someneurodegenerative diseases. The cognitive benefits may be partially downplayed because of the lack of scientificknowledge on the underlying mechanisms that explain exercise mediated cognitive improvements or its mediatingvariables. These questions are being explored at the University of Portsmouth, with a recent study identifying twopossible explanations for how exercise affects cognition: (1) exercise exerts a direct positive effect on cognition, or,(2) exercise ameliorates any ongoing negative effects on cognition due to other factors, such as sleep deprivation.Answering this initial question will lay the groundwork for future research into the mechanisms underlying theexercise-cognition relationship. This is necessary in order to provide greater clarity in future policies and publiccommunications regarding the benefits and uses of exercise. Therefore, this PhD will endeavour to develop andpilot test a scientific framework to study the effects of exercise on cognition, by examining the neurologicalelectrical activity of participants who have undergone various levels of exercise and sleep deprivation. In the longterm, the resulting research methodologies may be used in later studies that positively impact social policies on thebenefits of exercise for cognitive health.