Author(s): LOOSER, V.N., LUDYGA, S., GERBER, M., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF BASEL, Country: SWITZERLAND, Abstract-ID: 734

INTRODUCTION:
Verbal memory is a crucial neuropsychological function involved in core cognitive abilities such as general intelligence, reasoning, and learning. Verbal memory is associated with subjective well-being, mental health, as well as academic and career achievement (Ludyga, Gerber, Pühse, Looser, & Kamijo, 2020). While experimental studies have reported evidence on the association between physical activity and verbal memory, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms remain unclear.
The Individual Alpha Peak Frequency (IAPF) operates as a neurophysiological marker for general cognitive function and appears to be sensitive to physical activity (Gutmann, Hülsdünker, Mierau, Strüder, & Mierau, 2018). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between physical activity and verbal memory, as well as the potential mediating role of IAPF on this association in young adults.
METHODS:
In young healthy adults (N = 115, 48% female) aged 18 to 35 years (M = 24.1, SD = 3.8), IAPF was detected from electroencephalographic recordings during resting-state. Afterwards, participant performed immediate and delayed recall tasks with a distractor task in between. Their physical activity levels were examined from accelerometer data collected over seven consecutive days.
RESULTS:
Path analysis revealed no mediating effect of IAPF on the association of physical activity and recall performance. However, sex moderated the direct associations: While higher vigorous physical activity levels were associated with better recall performance in female participants, no association between these variables was found in male counterparts. Higher levels of physical activity however, were related to a higher IAPF exclusively in male participants.
CONCLUSION:
The study did not support a mediating role of IAPF on the association between physical activity and verbal memory, but a moderating effect of sex on the association of physical activity and verbal memory. This highlights the need to pay attention to inter-individual differences, when examining underlying mechanisms of the relation between physical activity and verbal memory.
REFERENCES:
Gutmann, B., Hülsdünker, T., Mierau, J., Strüder, H. K., & Mierau, A. (2018). Exercise-induced changes in EEG alpha power depend on frequency band definition mode. Neuroscience Letters, 662, 271-275. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2017.10.033
Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., Pühse, U., Looser, V. N., & Kamijo, K. (2020). Systematic review and meta-analysis investigating moderators of long-term effects of exercise on cognition in healthy individuals. Nature Human Behaviour, 4(6), 603-612. doi:10.1038/s41562-020-0851-8