Acute and chronic physical activity improves spatial memory in an immersive virtual reality task

RAMIREZ BUTAVAND, DANIELA; RODRIGUEZ, MARÍA F.; CIFUENTES, MARÍA V.; MIRANDA, MAGDALENA; BAUZA, CRISTIAN GARCÍA; BEKINSCHTEIN, PEDRO; BALLARINI, FABRICIO

iScience

Elsevier

Año: 2023 vol. 26

2589-0042

Physical activity benefits both fitness and cognition. However, its effect on long-term memory is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of acute and chronic exercise on long-term spatial memory for a new virtual reality task. Participants were immersed in the virtual environment and navigated a wide arena that included target objects. We assessed spatial memory in two conditions (encoded targets separated by a short or long distance) and found that 25 minutes of cycling after encoding - but not before retrieval - was sufficient to improve the long-term memory retention for the short, but not for the long distance. Furthermore, we found that participants who engaged in regular physical activity showed memory for the short-distance condition whereas controls did not. Thus, physical activity could be a simple way to improve spatial memories