The effects of acute exercise on short- and long-term memory: Considerations for the timing of exercise and phases of memory

The specific questions addressed from this research include: (1) Does high-intensity acute exercise improve memory?, (2) If so, do the mechanisms occur via encoding, consolidation, or retrieval? and (3) If acute exercise occurs in multiple phases of memory (e.g., before encoding and during consolidation), does this have an additive effect on memory? Three experimental, within-subject, counterbalanced studies were conducted among young adults. High-intensity exercise involved a 20-minutes bout of exercise at 75% of heart rate reserve. Memory was evaluated from a word-list task, including multiple evaluations out to 24-hours post-encoding. The timing of the exercise and memory assessments were carefully positioned to evaluate whether any improvements in memory were driven by mechanisms related to encoding, consolidation, and/or retrieval. We demonstrated that high-intensity acute exercise enhanced memory. This effect was robust (repeatable) and occurred through encoding, consolidation and retrieval-based mechanisms. Further, incorporating acute exercise into multiple phases of memory additively enhanced memory function.

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Experimental effects of acute exercise on forgetting

Physiology International ◽

10.1556/2060.2020.00033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 107 (3) ◽

pp. 359-375

Author(s):

D.C. Moore ◽

S. Ryu ◽

P.D. Loprinzi

Keyword(s):

Episodic Memory ◽

Acute Exercise ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Memory Function ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Short And Long Term

AbstractObjectivePrior research has evaluated the effects of acute exercise on episodic memory function. These studies have, on occasion, demonstrated that acute exercise may enhance both short- and long-term memory. It is uncertain as to whether the acute exercise improvements in long-term memory are a result of acute exercise attenuating declines in long-term memory, or rather, are driven by the enhancement effects of acute exercise on short-term memory. The present empirical study evaluates whether the decline from short- to long-term is influenced by acute exercise. This relationship is plausible as exercise has been shown to activate neurophysiological pathways (e.g., RAC1) that are involved in the mechanisms of forgetting.MethodsTo evaluate the effects of acute exercise on forgetting, we used data from 12 of our laboratory's prior experiments (N = 538). Across these 12 experiments, acute exercise ranged from 10 to 15 mins in duration (moderate-to-vigorous intensity). Episodic memory was assessed from word-list or paragraph-based assessments. Short-term memory was assessed immediately after encoding, with long-term memory assessed approximately 20-min later. Forgetting was calculated as the difference in short- and long-term memory performance.ResultsAcute exercise (vs. seated control) was not associated with an attenuated forgetting effect (d = 0.10; 95% CI: −0.04, 0.25, P = 0.17). We observed no evidence of a significant moderation effect (Q = 6.16, df = 17, P = 0.17, I2 = 0.00) for any of the evaluated parameters, including study design, exercise intensity and delay period.ConclusionAcross our 12 experimental studies, acute exercise was not associated with an attenuated forgetting effect. We discuss these implications for future research that evaluates the effects of acute exercise on long-term memory function.

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Acute Exercise and Sustained Attention on Memory Function

American Journal of Health Behavior ◽

10.5993/ajhb.44.3.5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 326-332

Author(s):

Audreaiona Waters ◽

Liye Zou ◽

Myungjin Jung ◽

Qian Yu ◽

Jingyuan Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neural Networks ◽

Sustained Attention ◽

Acute Exercise ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Memory Function ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Short Term ◽

Attention Task ◽

Term Memory

Objective: Sustained attention is critical for various activities of daily living, including engaging in health-enhancing behaviors and inhibition of health compromising behaviors. Sustained attention activates neural networks involved in episodic memory function, a critical cognition for healthy living. Acute exercise has been shown to activate these same neural networks. Thus, it is plausible that engaging in a sustained attention task and engaging in a bout of acute exercise may have an additive effect in enhancing memory function, which was the purpose of this experiment. Methods: 23 young adults (Mage = 20.7 years) completed 2 visits, with each visit occurring approximately 24 hours apart, in a counterbalanced order, including: (1) acute exercise with sustained attention, and (2) sustained attention only. Memory was assessed using a word-list paradigm and included a short- and long-term memory assessment. Sustained attention was induced via a sustained attention to response task (SART). Acute exercise involved a 15-minute bout of moderate-intensity exercise. Results: Short-term memory performance was significantly greater than long-term memory, Mdiff = 1.86, p < .001, and short-term memory for Exercise with Sustained Attention was significantly greater than short-term memory for Sustained Attention Only, Mdiff = 1.50, p = .01. Conclusion: Engaging in an acute bout of exercise before a sustained attention task additively influenced short-term memory function.

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Progesterone to improve neurocognitive outcomes following cranial irradiation.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2016.34.3_suppl.128 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 34 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 128-128

Author(s):

Derick Okwan-Duodu ◽

Fahim Atif ◽

David S. Yu ◽

Seema Yousuf ◽

Deborah Bruner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Memory Function ◽

Cranial Irradiation ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Group Effect ◽

Significant Group Effect ◽

Significant Group ◽

Term Memory ◽

Short And Long Term

128 Background: Neurocognitive functional decline is a common sequalae of cranial irradiation (CI) that significantly impacts quality of life. Preclinical studies and randomized clinical trials show that following traumatic brain injury and cerebrovascular accidents, premenopausal women demonstrate decreased mortality and improved neurocognitive function, with these benefits presumed to be derived from progesterone. We hypothesized that progesterone may serve similar role in neuroprotection following cranial irradiation. Methods: Adult non-tumor bearing wild type C57BL/6 male mice were treated with two separate fractionated radiation therapy regimen (9 Gy and 15 Gy) to the brain. Cohorts of these mice were administered progesterone (16mg/kg daily) as a pretreatment for 3 days and concurrent with the radiotherapy for a total of 14 days with tapering during the last two days. The animals were then tested using different behavioral measures for cognitive function including morris water maze (MWM) for assessing spatial and related forms of learning and memory, elevated plus maze (EPM), , and spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA) tests. Mice were tested for cognitive function on day 10 and after 30 days of treatment for short and long-term effects of (CI) on memory function. Results: All irradiated mice showed statistically significant decline in MWM, EPM, and SLA measures. There were no significant differences in the 9 Gy versus 15 Gy cohorts. Progesterone administration produced a statistically significant group effect (F (4, 25) = 8.553; P<0.001) in the improvement of long-term memory function over 5 days of learning process. Progesterone administration also demonstrated a significant group effect (F (4, 25) = 8.613; P<0.001) in the probe trial, and a significant beneficial effect (F (4, 25)= 7.993; P<0.001) in short-term memory functional latency to reach the platform. Conclusions: The preclinical data show that progesterone improves radiation-induced deficits in short-and long-term memory functions in adult mice. Further work is required to show if progesterone may show similar clinical benefit in neuroprotection for adults undergoing prophylactic CI or definitive CI for brain metastases or benign intracranial processes such as AVM.

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A date to remember: the nature of memory in savant calendrical calculators

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291798007776 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 145-160 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

L. HEAVEY ◽

L. PRING ◽

B. HERMELIN

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Processing ◽

Memory Function ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Term Memory ◽

Processing Style ◽

Calculation Skills ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

Day Of The Week ◽

Better Than

Background. Savant calendar calculators can supply with speed the day of the week of a given date. Although memory is suggested to be an important component of this unusual ability, memory function has never been systematically investigated in these skilled yet learning impaired individuals.Methods. Eight savant calendrical calculators, most of whom had autism, were compared with eight verbal IQ, age and diagnosis matched controls on digit and word span tests and measures of long-term memory for words and calendrical information (individual years). In an analogue to the ‘generation effect’, the savants' memory for dates was also compared following calculation and study/read tasks.Results. The savants did not differ from controls on measures of general short- and long-term memory. They did, however, show a clear recall superiority for the long-term retention of calendrical material. They also remembered calculated dates better than those that were only studied.Conclusions. A general mnemonic advantage cannot explain savant date calculation skills. Rather, through exposure to date information, the savants are suggested to develop a structured calendar-related knowledge base with the process of calculation utilizing the interrelations within this knowledge store. The cognitive processing style characteristic of autism may also play a role in the acquisition of this savant ability.

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Experimental Effects of Acute Exercise on Episodic Memory Function: Considerations for the Timing of Exercise

Psychological Reports ◽

10.1177/0033294118786688 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 122 (5) ◽

pp. 1744-1754 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

James T. Haynes ◽

Emily Frith ◽

Eveleen Sng ◽

Paul D. Loprinzi

Keyword(s):

Episodic Memory ◽

Prospective Memory ◽

Acute Exercise ◽

Memory Function ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Memory Encoding ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory

Our previous work employing a between-subject randomized controlled trial design suggests that exercising prior to memory encoding is more advantageous in enhancing retrospective episodic memory function when compared to exercise occurring during or after memory encoding. The present experiment evaluates this potential temporal effect of acute exercise on memory function while employing a within-subject, counterbalanced design. In a counterbalanced order (via Latin squares), 24 participants completed four visits including (1) exercising (moderate-intensity walking) prior to memory encoding, (2) exercising during memory encoding, (3) exercising after memory encoding, and (4) a control visit (no exercise). Retrospective memory function (short term and long term; 24-hour follow-up) was assessed from a multitrial word list. Prospective memory was assessed from a time-based task. Compared to all other visits, short-term memory was greater in the visit that involved exercising prior to memory encoding (F = 3.76; P = .01; η2 = .79). Similar results occurred for long-term memory, with no significant effects for prospective memory performance. We provide robust evidence demonstrating that acute moderate-intensity exercise prior to memory encoding is optimal in enhancing short-term and long-term memory function when compared to no exercise as well as exercising during and after memory encoding.

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Does Engaging in Acute Exercise Prior to Memory Encoding and During Memory Consolidation have an Additive Effect on Long-Term Memory Function?

Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise ◽

10.1007/s42978-019-00040-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 77-81

Author(s):

Paul D. Loprinzi ◽

Morgan Chism ◽

Sarah Marable

Keyword(s):

Memory Consolidation ◽

Acute Exercise ◽

Memory Function ◽

Additive Effect ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Memory Encoding ◽

Term Memory

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Acute exercise and mindfulness meditation on learning and memory: randomized controlled intervention

Health Promotion Perspectives ◽

10.15171/hpp.2019.43 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 314-318 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Malina Austin ◽

Paul D. Loprinzi

Keyword(s):

Learning And Memory ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Acute Exercise ◽

Mindfulness Meditation ◽

Word List ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Term Memory ◽

Control Learning ◽

And Control

Background: The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the potential combined effects of acute exercise and mindfulness mediation on episodic memory. Methods: All data collection occurred in the authors’ laboratory (January to May of 2019). In this three-arm, within-subject design, participants (N=20; Mage=21.6 years) completed three counterbalanced laboratory visits, including Exercise Only, Exercise + Meditation and Control. Learning and memory were assessed from a word-list task. A one-factor repeated-measures ANOVA was computed for two memory outcomes, including the learning outcome (average performance across the 6 trials) and the long-term memory recall (10-minute delay). Results: The exercise conditions had a greater learning effect when compared to the Control visit, Mdiff = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.10, 1.25), P = 0.02. The Exercise + Memory visit had better longterm memory when compared to Exercise Only, Mdiff = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.07, 1.83), P = 0.03. Conclusion: The present experiment provides suggestive evidence that acute exercise may enhance learning and, when coupling acute exercise prior to encoding with meditation during early consolidation, long-term memory may be enhanced.

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