Facilitation of human long-term memory with post-learning physical exercise

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

- Age: 18-28
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- Willingness and ability to sign informed consent
- Healthy
- Performs regular exercise (1-5 times a week)
- Body Mass Index between 18.5 and 25 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria

- Subjects that are or might be pregnant
- Subjects that use (prescribed) medication, except for paracetamol and oral contraceptives
- Subjects that are unable to perform bicycle exercise
- Subjects that suffered from recent illness (in past 2 weeks before the day of screening)
- Subjects with hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg)
- Subjects with any cardiovascular abnormality in current or past medical history or that show such abnormality during the ECG screening.
- Subjects with any neurological disorder in current or past medical history.
- Subjects with diagnosed diabetes mellitus
- Subjects with diagnosed hypercholesterolemia
- Subjects who smoke, or who quit smoking less than 2 years ago
- Subjects with parents, children and/or siblings who died at a young age (<50 years old) as the result of a cardiovascular disorder.
- Subjects with any personal characteristics that make him/her ineligible for MR scanning, such as:
• Non-removable metallic objects in the body
• Active implants (pacemaker, neurostimulator and so on)
• Epilepsy
• Claustrophobia
• Head surgery
• Metallic tattoos

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>At the behavioural level, the primary study parameter is the memory performance<br /><br>on the associative memory task (number of correctly recalled associative<br /><br>memories). This is measured directly after learning and after a 2 day delay to<br /><br>check long-term memory retention. The main study parameter is the memory<br /><br>retention, i.e. the difference between memory performance before and after the<br /><br>physical exercise intervention. We aim to investigate how post-learning<br /><br>exercise modulates long-term memory performance.</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>At the neural level, the secondary study parameters are the neural activation<br /><br>and functional connectivity of memory-related brain regions during memory<br /><br>retrieval after the intervention. Before and after both experimental conditions<br /><br>saliva will be obtained from all subjects. By measuring the concentration of<br /><br>cortisol and alpha-amylase in saliva, the physiological effects of exercise can<br /><br>be demonstrated in the subject population.<br /><br>During the intervention subjects will repeatedly report on their subjective<br /><br>experience of the exercise intensity level. In addition, heart rate will be<br /><br>monitored continuously. Finally the participants' activity and sleep rhythm<br /><br>will be recorded with actigraphs in the period between the first and second<br /><br>experimental day as a control measure.</p><br>