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Acute Cognition and Exercise

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Obesity
Interventions
Behavioral: Exercise
Registration Number
NCT05078203
Lead Sponsor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Brief Summary

The central hypothesis is that, while both groups will benefit from the exercise session, participants with obesity will exhibit greater gains in cognitive control, relative to healthy weight adults. Additionally, it is anticipated that the benefits of a single bout of exercise for cognitive control will be mediated by changes in exercise-induced myokines. These hypotheses will be tested by accomplishing three aims:

Aim 1: Elucidate the changes in cognitive control following an acute bout of exercise, relative to a sedentary condition, in persons with and without obesity.

Aim 2: To examine the effect of a single bout of exercise, relative to a sedentary condition, on myokines known to have neuroprotective effects i.e., BDNF and CTSB in both healthy weight and individuals with obesity.

Aim 3: To link changes in exercise-induced myokines (i.e., BDNF and CTSB) to changes in cognitive function, following a single bout of exercise.

Detailed Description

18 adults with healthy weight (BMI 18.5-25.0kg/m2) and 18 adults with obesity (BMI 30.0kg/m2) will be asked to complete a counter-balanced crossover trial. After initial baseline testing, participants will be asked to complete either an acute exercise bout or sedentary control session in a counter-balanced order. A cognitive testing battery accompanied by an electroencephalogram (EEG) will be administered following each session. Blood samples will be collected prior to, during, and following each throughout each testing condition.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
26
Inclusion Criteria
  • Between ages 18 and 35
  • No prior diagnosis of neurological disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder)
  • No prior diagnosis of metabolic disease (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
  • No physical disability that would preclude the participant from completing a VO2max test
  • Corrected vision (based on the minimal 20/20 standard needed to complete cognitive tasks)
  • Not pregnant
  • BMI between 18.5 and 25.0 kg/m2, or BMI greater than 30.0 kg/m2
  • Readiness for exercise (determined through PAR-Q)
Exclusion Criteria
  • <18 years and >35 years
  • Diagnosis of neurological disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder)
  • Diagnosis of metabolic disease (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
  • Physical disability that would preclude the participant from completing a VO2max test
  • Lack of corrected vision (based on the minimal 20/20 standard needed to complete cognitive tasks)
  • Pregnancy
  • BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2 or BMI greater than 25.0 but less than 30.0 kg/m2

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
RestExercise36 minutes of rest
ExerciseExercise36 minutes of exercise
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Circulating Cathepsin B (CTSB) Myokine3 hours

Changes in peripheral myokine concentration

Attentional Processing Speed3 hours

Changes in P3 event related potential latency (ms) using a computerized flanker task

Attentional Inhibition Accuracy3 hours

Behavioral performance measured as accuracy (%) during Flanker task

Relational Memory3 hours

Accuracy during a spatial reconstruction task

Attentional Inhibition Reaction Time3 hours

Behavioral performance measured as response time (ms) during Flanker task

Attentional Resource Allocation3 hours

Changes in P3 event related potential amplitude (microvolts) using a computerized flanker task

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)3 hours

Changes in peripheral BDNF concentration

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

🇺🇸

Urbana, Illinois, United States

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