Morava, Anisa;
Tari, Benjamin;
Ahn, Joshua;
Shirzad, Mustafa;
Heath, Matthew;
Prapavessis, Harry;
(2023)
Acute stress imparts a transient benefit to task-switching that is not modulated following a single bout of exercise.
Frontiers in Psychology
, 14
, Article 1157644. 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1157644.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Cognitive flexibility represents a core component of executive function that promotes the ability to efficiently alternate-or "switch"-between different tasks. Literature suggests that acute stress negatively impacts cognitive flexibility, whereas a single bout of aerobic exercise supports a postexercise improvement in cognitive flexibility. Here, we examined whether a single bout of aerobic exercise attenuates a stress-induced decrement in task-switching. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty participants (age range = 19-30) completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and were randomized into separate Exercise or Rest groups entailing 20-min sessions of heavy intensity exercise (80% of heart rate maximum via cycle ergometer) or rest, respectively. Stress induction was confirmed via state anxiety and heart rate. Task-switching was assessed prior to the TSST (i.e., pre-TSST), following the TSST (i.e., post-TSST), and following Exercise and Rest interventions (i.e., post-intervention) via pro- (i.e., saccade to veridical target location) and antisaccades (i.e., saccade mirror-symmetrical to target location) arranged in an AABB task-switching paradigm. The underlying principle of the AABB paradigm suggests that when prosaccades are preceded by antisaccades (i.e., task-switch trials), the reaction times are longer compared to their task-repeat counterparts (i.e., unidirectional prosaccade switch-cost). RESULTS: As expected, the pre-TSST assessment yielded a prosaccade switch cost. Notably, post-TSST physiological measures indicated a reliable stress response and at this assessment a null prosaccade switch-cost was observed. In turn, post-intervention assessments revealed a switch-cost independent of Exercise and Rest groups. CONCLUSION: Accordingly, the immediate effects of acute stress supported improved task-switching in young adults; however, these benefits were not modulated by a single bout of aerobic exercise.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Acute stress imparts a transient benefit to task-switching that is not modulated following a single bout of exercise |
| Location: | Switzerland |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1157644 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1157644 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2023 Morava, Tari, Ahn, Shirzad, Heath and Prapavessis. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. |
| Keywords: | Social Sciences, Psychology, Multidisciplinary, Psychology, antisaccades, cognitive flexibility, executive function, oculomotor, psychosocial stressor, CORE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS, CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPONSES, COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY, AEROBIC EXERCISE, MEMORY, BRAIN, COST, CATECHOLAMINES, METAANALYSIS, PERFORMANCE |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203759 |
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