<b>Physical activity affects cognitive function in view of prefrontal cortex activat</b><b>ion </b>

Abstract

Previous studies have revealed that physical activity can affect brain function and cognitive decline.Additionally, we confirmed that brain activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during a cognitive task was correlated with cognitive function. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that brain activation also affects cognitive function, which increases due to stimulation from physical activity. The purpose of this study was to verify causal relationships between physical activity, PFC activation, and cognitive function using the statistical method of path analyses in a multi-model approach.Forty-six healthy volunteers (10 males, mean age: 76.1, standard deviation: 6.8) participated in this study.Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to enrollment. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Seirei Christopher University (approval No. 10067). We assessed physical activity via participants' self-reports, determined PFC activation during a dual task using near-infrared spectroscopy, and measured cognitive function with the Trail-Making Test Part B. To determine the causal relationship between physical activity, PFC activation, and cognitive function, path analyses were conducted using AMOS 16 structural equation This study statistically revealed the causal relationships between physical activity, PFC activation, and cognitive function. Path analyses indicated that physical activity affected cognitive function via PFC activation.

Effects of Different Methods for Achieving Situational Awareness on Cerebral Blood Flow in Nurses in an Observational Setting

“…Neurovascular coupling refers to the changes in cerebral hemodynamics that occur when cerebral blood vessels dilate during brain activity. This mechanism is used as an index to evaluate cerebral activity, [9] and studies have shown that cerebral blood flow increases during intense thinking and ceases to increase when understanding is achieved [10,11]. In conclusion, if cerebral blood flow increases during situational awareness, it signifies that the person is thinking intensely about situational awareness.…”

Sex Differences in the Oxygenation of the Left and Right Prefrontal Cortex during Moderate-Intensity Exercise

“…Thus, AE is used for health promotion and anti-obesity treatment. Of note, moderate acute exercise improves not only physical function but also cognitive function through an increase in cerebral blood flow to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which has been identified in both young and elderly individuals [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Based on current evidence, increased PFC oxygenation during AE has been shown to enhance physical and cognitive function.…”