The Effects of Physical Exercise and Cognitive Training on Memory and Neurotrophic Factors

• Published in: Journal of cognitive neuroscience Vol. 29; no. 11; pp. 1895 - 1907
• Main Authors: Heisz, Jennifer J., Clark, Ilana B., Bonin, Katija, Paolucci, Emily M., Michalski, Bernadeta, Becker, Suzanna, Fahnestock, Margaret
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1209, USA MIT Press 01.11.2017; MIT Press Journals, The
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Analysis of Variance; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - blood; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive ability; Cognitive tasks; Effects; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Female; Group dynamics; Hippocampus; Humans; Individuality; Insulin; Insulin-like growth factor I; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - metabolism; Male; Memory; Memory - physiology; Mental task performance; Neuropsychological Tests; Neurotrophic factors; Physical exercise; Physical fitness; Physical training; Teaching; Training; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0898-929X; 1530-8898
• DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01164

This study examined the combined effect of physical exercise and cognitive training on memory and neurotrophic factors in healthy, young adults. Ninety-five participants completed 6 weeks of exercise training, combined exercise and cognitive training, or no training (control). Both the exercise and combined training groups improved performance on a high-interference memory task, whereas the control group did not. In contrast, neither training group improved on general recognition performance, suggesting that exercise training selectively increases high-interference memory that may be linked to hippocampal function. Individuals who experienced greater fitness improvements from the exercise training (i.e., high responders to exercise) also had greater increases in the serum neurotrophic factors brain-derived neurotrophic factor and insulin-like growth factor-1. These high responders to exercise also had better high-interference memory performance as a result of the combined exercise and cognitive training compared with exercise alone, suggesting that potential synergistic effects might depend on the availability of neurotrophic factors. These findings are especially important, as memory benefits accrued from a relatively short intervention in high-functioning young adults.