Acute Cognition and Exercise (ACE)

Acute Exercise and Cognitive Function: Examining the Role of Weight Status and Exercise-Induced Myokines

The central hypothesis is that, while both groups will benefit from the exercise session, participants with obesity will exhibit greater gains in cognitive control, relative to healthy weight adults. Additionally, it is anticipated that the benefits of a single bout of exercise for cognitive control will be mediated by changes in exercise-induced myokines. These hypotheses will be tested by accomplishing three aims:

Aim 1: Elucidate the changes in cognitive control following an acute bout of exercise, relative to a sedentary condition, in persons with and without obesity.

Aim 2: To examine the effect of a single bout of exercise, relative to a sedentary condition, on myokines known to have neuroprotective effects i.e., BDNF and CTSB in both healthy weight and individuals with obesity.

Aim 3: To link changes in exercise-induced myokines (i.e., BDNF and CTSB) to changes in cognitive function, following a single bout of exercise.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Exercise

Detailed Description

18 adults with healthy weight (BMI 18.5-25.0kg/m2) and 18 adults with obesity (BMI 30.0kg/m2) will be asked to complete a counter-balanced crossover trial. After initial baseline testing, participants will be asked to complete either an acute exercise bout or sedentary control session in a counter-balanced order. A cognitive testing battery accompanied by an electroencephalogram (EEG) will be administered following each session. Blood samples will be collected prior to, during, and following each throughout each testing condition.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 26
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Urbana, Illinois, United States, 61801
      • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between ages 18 and 35
• No prior diagnosis of neurological disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder)
• No prior diagnosis of metabolic disease (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
• No physical disability that would preclude the participant from completing a VO2max test
• Corrected vision (based on the minimal 20/20 standard needed to complete cognitive tasks)
• Not pregnant
• BMI between 18.5 and 25.0 kg/m2, or BMI greater than 30.0 kg/m2
• Readiness for exercise (determined through PAR-Q)

Exclusion Criteria:

• <18 years and >35 years
• Diagnosis of neurological disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder)
• Diagnosis of metabolic disease (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
• Physical disability that would preclude the participant from completing a VO2max test
• Lack of corrected vision (based on the minimal 20/20 standard needed to complete cognitive tasks)
• Pregnancy
• BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2 or BMI greater than 25.0 but less than 30.0 kg/m2

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exercise; 36 minutes of exercise	Behavioral: Exercise; 36 minutes of Exercise
Placebo Comparator: Rest; 36 minutes of rest	Behavioral: Exercise; 36 minutes of Exercise

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Circulating Cathepsin B (CTSB) Myokine	Changes in peripheral myokine concentration	3 hours
Attentional Inhibition Accuracy	Behavioral performance measured as accuracy (%) during Flanker task	3 hours
Attentional Inhibition Reaction Time	Behavioral performance measured as response time (ms) during Flanker task	3 hours
Attentional Resource Allocation	Changes in P3 event related potential amplitude (microvolts) using a computerized flanker task	3 hours
Attentional Processing Speed	Changes in P3 event related potential latency (ms) using a computerized flanker task	3 hours
Relational Memory	Accuracy during a spatial reconstruction task	3 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)	Changes in peripheral BDNF concentration	3 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 2, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 28, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): April 28, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 1, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 1, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): October 14, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 20, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 16, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Exercise; Cognition; BDNF; Myokine; CTSB
• Other Study ID Numbers: ACE

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No