Acute physical activity could improve spatial pattern separation in humans

RAMIREZ BUTAVAND, DANIELA; MARÍA FLORENCIA RODRÍGUEZ; CIFUENTES, MARÍA VIRGINIA; LAZO, MARCOS; GARCÍA BAUZA, CRISTIAN; BEKINSCHTEIN, PEDRO; BALLARINI, FABRICIO

Córdoba

Congreso; XXXII Congress of the Argentine Society for Research in Neuroscience; 2018

To enable the distinction of similar episodes within memory, the brain must create unique representations of events. This cognitive process is referred to as "pattern separation." Recently, our research group has demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may play a crucial role in the consolidation of pattern-separated memories. Moreover, it has been observed that under conditions of physical activity, both rodents and humans exhibit elevated levels of this factor.In this study, we specifically devised a task to evaluate spatial pattern separation in humans within a virtual reality environment. This task involved assessing long-term memory concerning the positions of two flags separated by varying angles. The preliminary findings from our research indicate that acute physical activity (comprising 25 minutes of stationary bicycle exercise) could potentially enhance performance in this task, particularly when dealing with a smaller angle.This research proposal has the potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the biological foundations of human cognition and mental health, representing a valuable translational endeavor.