Effects and Moderators of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Subsequent Interference Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Acute aerobic exercise leads to positive physiological adaptations within the central nervous system. These findings inspired research on potential cognitive benefits following acute aerobic exercise. The effects of acute aerobic exercise on subsequent cognitive performance, by far, have been the most researched for interference control, a subcomponent of executive function. The results of primary studies on the effects of acute aerobic exercise on subsequent interference control performance are inconsistent. Therefore, we used meta-analytic methods to pool available effect sizes, and to identify covariates that determine the magnitude of exercise-induced interference control benefits. Methods: Medline, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus were searched for eligible records. Hedges' g corrected standardized mean difference values (SMDs) were used for analyses. Random-effects weights were used to pool effect sizes. Moderator analyses were conducted using meta-regressions and subgroups analyses. Covariates that were here tested for moderation included parameters of the applied exercise regimen (exercise intensity and exercise duration), characteristics of examined participants (age and fitness), and methodological features of existing research (type of control group, familiarization with test procedure, type of test variable, delay between exercise cessation, and testing). Results: Fifty studies, with data from 2,366 participants, were included in qualitative and quantitative synthesis. A small, significant beneficial effect of acute aerobic exercise on time-dependent measures of interference control was revealed (k = 49, Hedges' g = −0.26, 95%CI: −34 to −0.18). Effect sizes from time-dependent measures of interference control varied widely and heterogeneity reached statistical significance (T2 = 0.0557, I2 = 28.8%). Moderator analyses revealed that higher exercise intensities (vigorous intensity and high-intensity interval training), also participants at younger or older age, and participants who are familiar with the testing procedure prior to the experiment, benefitted most from acute aerobic exercise. However, noticeable heterogeneity remained unexplained within specific subgroups (high-intensity interval training, preadolescent children, and active and supervised control group). Conclusion: Acute aerobic exercise improves subsequent interference control performance. However, the covariates exercise intensity, participants' age, and familiarization with testing procedure determine the magnitude of that effect. Methodological features were not found to influence the magnitude of effects. This dismisses some doubts that exercise induced benefits for interference control performance are scientific artifacts. The fact that large heterogeneity remained unexplained in some subgroups indicates the need for further research on covariates within these subgroups. It should be noted that effect sizes for all analyses were small. © Copyright © 2019 Oberste, Javelle, Sharma, Joisten, Walzik, Bloch and Zimmer

Immunology & Immune System

Increased levels of physical activity are associated with a risk reduction for several neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons disease). Moreover, physical exercise is known to improve the physical capacity and to reduce commonlyobserved symptoms, such as motoric, cognitive and a ective impairments. In addition to the ameliorating e ects on speci c symptoms, rst evidence also suggests that physical exercise interventions may counteract and/or alleviate the progress of these diseases.Considering the side effects of drug therapy, exercise interventions represent a promising non-pharmacological supportive treatment option and are therefore increasinglybeinginvestigated in clinical research on neurological diseases.More knowledge about the underlying biological mechanisms is warranted in order to improve tailored exercise programs. However, the reduced accessibility of the central nervous system in humans and problems in the transferability of rodent models complicates research in this eld. Nevertheless, several peripheral markers indicating distinct biological pathways involved in the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegeneration have been revealed to date. Interestingly, these biomarkers have recently been described to be sensitive to exercise stimuli. In this review, we provide an overview of the interaction between potential mechanisms linked to physical exercise and the alleviation of neurodegenerative processes. More precisely, we focus on di erent aspects of exercise-induced impacts on neuronal growth factors, in ammation, blood-brain barrier permeability and the kynurenine pathway.KEY WORDS: Exercise, Physical Activity, Brain, Neurodegeneration, Neurological Disorder

Impact of aerobic exercise training during chemotherapy on cancer related cognitive impairments in patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome - Study protocol of a randomized placebo-controlled trial

Cancer related cognitive impairments (CRCI) are frequently reported by patients prior to, during and after medical treatment. Although this cognitive decline severely affects patients' quality of life, little is known about effective treatments. Exercise programs represent a promising supportive strategy in this field. However, evidence is sparse and existing studies display methodological limitations. In the planned study, 83 men and women newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) will be randomized into one of three treatment groups. During 4 weeks of induction chemotherapy with Anthracycline and Cytarabin patients allocated to exercise group will cycle 3 x/week for 30 min at moderate to vigorous intensity on an ergometer. Patients allocated to placebo group will receive a supervised myofascial release training (3x/week, approx. 30 min) and patients at control group will get usual care. As primary endpoints a cognitive test battery will be conducted measuring performances depending on verbal/spatial memory and executive functioning. Secondary endpoints will be self-perceived cognitive functioning, as well as neurotrophic and inflammatory serum markers. All assessments will be conducted immediately after hospitalization and before chemotherapy is commenced, immediately before discharge of hospital after 45 weeks as well as before continuing medical treatment 3-4 weeks after discharge. This will be the first study investigating the impact of an aerobic exercise training on CRCI in AML/MDS patients. We hope that the study design and the state-of-the-art assessments will help to increase knowledge about CRCI in general and exercise as potential treatment option in this under investigated population. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved

Fabrication of nanotweezers and their remote actuation by magnetic fields

International audienceA new kind of nanodevice that acts like tweezers through remote actuation by an external magneticfield is designed. Such device is meant to mechanically grab micrometric objects. The nanotweezersare built by using a top-down approach and are made of two parallelepipedic microelements, at leastone of them being magnetic, bound by a flexible nanohinge. The presence of an external magneticfield induces a torque on the magnetic elements that competes with the elastic torque provided by thenanohinge. A model is established in order to evaluate the values of the balanced torques as a functionof the tweezers opening angles. The results of the calculations are confronted to the expected valuesand validate the overall working principle of the magnetic nanotweezers

Autonomy, Heteronomy, and Bioethics in BioShock

Abstract The digital game BioShock addresses questions about human enhancement, unbounded biomedical research and unregulated technology. Our analysis is situated in an interdisciplinary field between media studies, the history of ideas, and bioethics. We focus on the processes of generating meaning and knowledge while playing a game, and therefore on the context in which the game is played and how it may be understood by different audiences. What marks this medium as potentially more powerful than movies or novels is that the player interacts with the game and participates in both the narrative and the ludic experience. In this chapter, we explore how the theme of autonomy/heteronomy is addressed in ludic terms in the game and give two examples of narrative elements that address autonomy within the context of bioethics and medical ethics. We show that in BioShock the medium of computer games has been used as a thought experiment, examining the consequences of unregulated medical research and practice