Resting-State Functional Connectivity Change in Frontoparietal and Default Mode Networks After Acute Exercise in Youth
Trevor L. Cline, Francesca Morfini, E. Tinney, E. Makarewycz, Katherine M Lloyd, Valur T. Olafsson, Clemens C C Bauer, Art F. Kramer, L. Raine, Laurel Gabard-Durnam, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli, C. H. Hillman
Brain plasticity May 1, 2024 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-240003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Crossover study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Children aged 9 to 13 years |
| Interventions | Acute treadmill walking Seated reading |
| Duration | 20-minute exercise or reading session; pre- and post-session fMRI scans |
| Measures | resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) via fMRI, multivariate pattern analysis |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key points | A single 20-minute bout of treadmill walking at 65–75% of maximum heart rate changed resting-state functional connectivity in children: three left lateral prefrontal clusters of the frontoparietal network showed different connectivity after exercise versus seated reading. After exercise, these clusters became more correlated with bilateral lateral prefrontal cortex and left basal ganglia, and the left lateral prefrontal cortex became more anti-correlated with the default mode network's precuneus; reading showed the opposite pattern. The authors suggest these patterns may underlie transient mental benefits of exercise. |
Abstract
Background: A single bout of aerobic exercise can provide acute benefits to cognition and emotion in children. Yet, little is known about how acute exercise may impact children’s underlying brain networks’ resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC).
Objective: Using a data-driven multivariate pattern analysis, we investigated the effects of a single dose of exercise on acute rsFC changes in 9-to-13-year-olds.
Methods: On separate days in a crossover design, participants (N = 21) completed 20-mins of acute treadmill walking at 65–75% heart rate maximum (exercise condition) and seated reading (control condition), with pre- and post-fMRI scans. Multivariate pattern analysis was used to investigate rsFC change between conditions.
Results: Three clusters in the left lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) of the frontoparietal network (FPN) had significantly different rsFC after the exercise condition compared to the control condition. Post-hoc analyses revealed that from before to after acute exercise, activity of these FPN clusters became more correlated with bilateral lPFC and the left basal ganglia. Additionally, the left lPFC became more anti-correlated with the precuneus of the default mode network (DMN). An opposite pattern was observed from before to after seated reading.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that a single dose of exercise increases connectivity within the FPN, FPN integration with subcortical regions involved in movement and cognition, and segregation of FPN and DMN. Such patterns, often associated with healthier cognitive and emotional control, may underlie the transient mental benefits observed following acute exercise in youth.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subjects, placebo-controlled, task-free fMRI study | n = 30 |
| The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers | 2014 | Placebo-controlled study | |
| Ketamine Decreases Resting State Functional Network Connectivity in Healthy Subjects: Implications for Antidepressant Drug Action Healthy subjects | 2012 | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover rsfMRI challenge | |
| Antidepressants Normalize the Default Mode Network in Patients With Dysthymia Subjects with dysthymic disorder and healthy control participants aged 18 to 53 years | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Functional Connectivity Measures After Psilocybin Inform a Novel Hypothesis of Early Psychosis Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subject, placebo-controlled experimental study | n = 15 |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology March 29, 2012
- Brief Mindfulness Meditation Improves Attention in Novices: Evidence From ERPs and Moderation by Neuroticism Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 6, 2018
- Meditation states and traits: EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging studies. Psychological Bulletin March 2006