Motion, Relation, and Passion in Brain Physiological and Cognitive Aging

Abstract

The aim of the current paper was to present important factors for keeping the basic structures of a person’s brain function, i.e., the grey and white matter, intact. Several lines of evidence have shown that motion, relation, and passion are central factors for preserving the neural system in the grey and white matter during ageing. An active lifestyle has shown to contribute to the development of the central nervous system and to contrast brain ageing. Interpersonal relationships, and interactions, have shown to contribute to complex biological factors that benefit the cognitive resilience to decline. Furthermore, the current scientific literature suggests that passion, strong interest, could be the driving factor motivating individuals to learn new things, thus influencing the development and maintenance of the neural functional network over time. The present theoretical perspective paper aims to convey several key messages: (1) brain development is critically affected by lifestyle; (2) physical training allows one to develop and maintain brain structures during ageing, and may be one of the keys for good quality of life as an older person; (3) diverse stimuli are a key factor in maintaining brain structures; (4) motion, relation, and passion are key elements for contrasting the loss of the grey and white matter of the brain.

Well-Being and Perceived Competence in School Children from 1 to 9 Class

“…In the passion hour the children have the possibility to choose subjects to work on in the end of the day. By choosing subjects it is possible to increase the passion for achievement and therefore the motivation and well-being [15,[17][18][19][20].…”

“…Dicke et al [13] (p. 2) argue that 'students perceived competence, i.e., feeling capable with regards to the task at hand, is one of the crucial components of student motivation and is associated with positive academic outcomes, such as achievement' [14]. This may be linked to motivational factors such as passion, grit and mindset [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Findings from Bailey and Phillips [22] show that intrinsic motivation predicts well-being and academic performance.…”

Reading: From the Simple to the Complex

“…This is how an individual gets into flow and acquires mastery [ 4 , 27 ]. Acquiring mastery and the feeling of ‘I CAN’ may increase the strong interest or passion for achievement in the individual [ 28 , 29 ]. The figure also indicates the different emphasis regarding the approach in the reading lesson.…”

“…What skill level the child can choose from is guided by his or her teacher. As both Csikszentmihalyi [ 4 ], Ericsson and Pool [ 6 ] and Sigmundsson et al [ 28 , 29 , 33 ] argue, the mentor/teacher/trainer has a key role in giving individuals the right challenges. Students in the first grade are divided across the year in so-called training hours where the teacher works with each group individually and gives the students appropriate training tasks.…”

Move Your Body, Boost Your Brain: The Positive Impact of Physical Activity on Cognition across All Age Groups

“…Few fMRI reviews dealt with older people and reported better functional connectivity, especially after light-intensity aerobic exercise [ 30 , 31 ]. Recent studies pointed out the positive impact of exercise since PA could counteract the loss of brain white and grey matter and promote the efficiency of brain circuits and neuronal plasticity, especially in adults [ 32 , 33 ]. Regarding children, most papers evaluated the impact of PA through standardised tests of academic and cognitive outcomes.…”