Chronic Effects Of Physical Activity On Cognition

CHRONIC EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON COGNITION 4.5.2 Chronic Effects of Physical Activity on Cognition Introduction  Positive correlation between physical activity and cognitive performance in school-aged children and adults.  Stronger correlation in primary school-age children.  Cognitive performance improvement in older adults (55+) regardless of intervention type, program length, training amount, and cognitive abilities. Effects of Physical Activity on Cognitive Development  Positive correlation between physical activity and cognitive development in childhood and adolescence.  Influence of physical activity on brain anatomy:  Larger hippocampal volume associated with better memory performance.  Larger basal ganglia volume linked to improved attention performance.  Benefits for executive control tasks.  Neurophysiological changes indicating faster information processing.  Enhanced brain communication due to regular physical training. Physical Activity in Older Adults  Cognitive performance decline in older adults, including reduced information processing speed and working memory.  Endurance-trained older individuals demonstrate better cognitive performance.  Functional changes in the brain, such as improved connectivity between different brain areas.  Positive impact on gray and white matter preservation, particularly in the frontal, parietal, temporal areas, and hippocampus.  Potential benefits of coordination training. Reflection on Cognitive Performance Improvement  Complex cause-and-effect relationships between physical activity and cognition.  Biological mechanisms underlying physical activity's effects on cognition, including neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and increased production of neurotrophins.  Capillarization and its role in cognitive improvement.  The impact of cognitive resources previously allocated to motor skills on cognitive tasks.  Influence of acute exercise on cognitive states and potential hormonal factors.  Factors moderating the influence of physical activity on cognitive functions. 4.6 Multitasking Introduction to Multitasking  Constant exposure to double or multiple tasks in everyday life and sports.  Examples of multitasking scenarios in daily life and sports.  Cognitive challenges posed by multitasking. Multitasking in Neuroscientific Research  Dual-task paradigms and their study using brain imaging techniques.  Methodological difficulties in MRI to separate dual-task activation from single-task activation.  Importance of behavioral studies for assessing gait performance and cognitive performance independently.  Decline in cognitive resources and executive functions with increasing age. Dual-Task Paradigms in Gerontology  Use of dual-task paradigms in gerontology research.  Areas of focus in gerontological studies, including driving performance, fine motor skills, and fall prevention.  Examples of combining motor and cognitive tasks to investigate automation in movements.  Application of dual-task paradigms in sports research.