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Acute exercise effects on inhibitory control and the pupillary response in young adults
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Acute exercise effects on inhibitory control and the pupillary response in young adults

Tatsuya T. Shigeta, Timothy P. Morris, Donovan H. Henry, Aaron Kucyi, Peter Bex, Arthur F. Kramer and Charles H. Hillman
International journal of psychophysiology, v 170, pp 218-228
01 Dec 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.08.006
PMID: 34517033
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8858640View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

Acute exercise Inhibitory control Locus coeruleus norepinephrine system Pupillometry
Previous research has established an impact of acute exercise on cognitive performance, which has inspired investigations into neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie the observed benefits. Pupillary responses have been posited to reflect activation of such underlying neurobiological mechanisms. The current study recruited healthy young adults to investigate the effects of a single bout of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise on subsequent performance and pupillary responses during an inhibitory control task. Results showed that an acute bout of exercise was related to shorter reaction times and increased tonic pupil dilation during an inhibitory control task. Although pupillary responses did not mediate the acute exercise effect on inhibitory control, higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with greater phasic pupil dilation following exercise relative to seated rest. The current study supported the plausibility of the pupillary response as a marker of LC-NE system activation that is sensitive to acute exercise. Whether pupillary responses could account for transient benefits of acute exercise on brain and cognition remains unclear. •Pupillary responses may index acute exercise benefits on cognition.•Acute exercise was related to inhibitory control performance and tonic pupil dilation.•Pupillary responses did not mediate acute exercise effect on inhibitory control.•Cardiorespiratory fitness was related to the acute exercise effect on phasic pupil dilation.

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20 citations in Web of Science
20 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Web of Science research areas
Neurosciences
Physiology
Psychology
Psychology, Biological
Psychology, Experimental
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