Raichlen David A, Bharadwaj Pradyumna K, Fitzhugh Megan C, Haws Kari A, Torre Gabrielle-Ann, Trouard Theodore P, Alexander Gene E
School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, TucsonAZ, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, TucsonAZ, USA.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2016 Nov 29;10:610. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00610. eCollection 2016.
Expertise and training in fine motor skills has been associated with changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity. Fewer studies have explored the neural effects of athletic activities that do not seem to rely on precise fine motor control (e.g., distance running). Here, we compared resting-state functional connectivity in a sample of adult male collegiate distance runners ( = 11; age = 21.3 ± 2.5) and a group of healthy age-matched non-athlete male controls ( = 11; age = 20.6 ± 1.1), to test the hypothesis that expertise in sustained aerobic motor behaviors affects resting state functional connectivity in young adults. Although generally considered an automated repetitive task, locomotion, especially at an elite level, likely engages multiple cognitive actions including planning, inhibition, monitoring, attentional switching and multi-tasking, and motor control. Here, we examined connectivity in three resting-state networks that link such executive functions with motor control: the default mode network (DMN), the frontoparietal network (FPN), and the motor network (MN). We found two key patterns of significant between-group differences in connectivity that are consistent with the hypothesized cognitive demands of elite endurance running. First, enhanced connectivity between the FPN and brain regions often associated with aspects of working memory and other executive functions (frontal cortex), suggest endurance running may stress executive cognitive functions in ways that increase connectivity in associated networks. Second, we found significant anti-correlations between the DMN and regions associated with motor control (paracentral area), somatosensory functions (post-central region), and visual association abilities (occipital cortex). DMN deactivation with task-positive regions has been shown to be generally beneficial for cognitive performance, suggesting anti-correlated regions observed here are engaged during running. For all between-group differences, there were significant associations between connectivity, self-reported physical activity, and estimates of maximum aerobic capacity, suggesting a dose-response relationship between engagement in endurance running and connectivity strength. Together these results suggest that differences in experience with endurance running are associated with differences in functional brain connectivity. High intensity aerobic activity that requires sustained, repetitive locomotor and navigational skills may stress cognitive domains in ways that lead to altered brain connectivity, which in turn has implications for understanding the beneficial role of exercise for brain and cognitive function over the lifespan.
精细运动技能方面的专业知识和训练与大脑结构、功能及连通性的变化有关。较少有研究探讨那些似乎不依赖精确精细运动控制的体育活动（如长跑）的神经效应。在此，我们比较了成年男性大学生长跑运动员样本（n = 11；年龄 = 21.3 ± 2.5）和一组年龄匹配的健康非运动员男性对照组（n = 11；年龄 = 20.6 ± 1.1）的静息态功能连通性，以检验持续有氧运动行为方面的专业知识会影响年轻人静息态功能连通性这一假设。尽管运动通常被认为是一项自动重复的任务，但尤其是在精英水平上，运动可能涉及多种认知行为，包括计划、抑制、监测、注意力转换和多任务处理以及运动控制。在此，我们研究了将此类执行功能与运动控制联系起来的三个静息态网络中的连通性：默认模式网络（DMN）、额顶网络（FPN）和运动网络（MN）。我们发现了两组之间连通性显著差异的两个关键模式，这与精英耐力跑的假设认知需求一致。首先，FPN与通常与工作记忆和其他执行功能方面相关的脑区（额叶皮层）之间的连通性增强，表明耐力跑可能以增加相关网络连通性的方式对执行认知功能造成压力。其次，我们发现DMN与与运动控制相关的区域（中央旁区域）、躯体感觉功能（中央后区域）和视觉联想能力（枕叶皮层）之间存在显著的反相关。DMN与任务积极区域的失活已被证明通常对认知表现有益，表明此处观察到的反相关区域在跑步过程中被激活。对于所有组间差异，连通性、自我报告的身体活动和最大有氧能力估计值之间存在显著关联，表明参与耐力跑与连通性强度之间存在剂量反应关系。这些结果共同表明，耐力跑经验的差异与功能性脑连通性的差异有关。需要持续、重复运动和导航技能的高强度有氧运动可能以导致脑连通性改变的方式对认知领域造成压力，这反过来对于理解运动在整个生命周期对大脑和认知功能的有益作用具有启示意义。
