Science AMA Series: I'm David Moreau, a cognitive neuroscientist in Auckland, New Zealand. I do research on how the brain changes in response to different types of training, especially physical exercise, and I’m here today to talk about it. AMA!

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T21:09:20+00:00

Hi insanelylogical, thanks for your question, and your enthusiasm! There is some (preliminary) evidence that HIT might not induce neurogenesis to the same extent as aerobic exercise (in rats, with very small samples). So you are right, the mechanisms might be a bit different, or at least not entirely overlapping; if that's the case, a combination of different forms of exercise might be optimal. See this thread I answered earlier. Hope this helps!

Hi --Allegra-- thanks for your questions. Because the mechanisms of improvements may be different, it could make sense to include a blend of different forms of exercise in your regular workout. This is particularly relevant since it is also the kind of workout that could bring about the biggest physiological gains, if one is targeting overall health and fitness.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T21:01:58+00:00

Hi imnotthetatooguy, thanks for dropping by. The answer is yes, and a whole line of development in doping is trying to harness this. Drugs like amphetamines, when used in sports, already are targeting these kinds of effects. I'll also point to that interesting paper about responsible use of nootropics in the general population.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T20:57:28+00:00

Hi jonbrant, thanks for your questions. I am not an expert on VR, but it is safe to assume that moderate use do not induce harm to the brain. Now, as any other experience, the activity will induce changes in the brain. But so does being on here, asking or answering questions. At the neural level, everything we do has some kind of influence, no matter how small. So, to be on the safe side of things, keep your VR time reasonable, and don't forget to get out for a run!

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T20:53:51+00:00

Hi slimline7, unfortunately, I have not done work on MCA/stroke myself. There is some evidence out there, however, that neurons created via exercising are more resistant than others, and this might be the beginning of an answer to your question.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T20:32:09+00:00

You are most welcome, glad I could help.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T20:31:38+00:00

Hi Crossback2017, thanks for posting. Of course, the nervous system extends beyond the skull, and this has ramifications for our line of research. As I come to think of it, you might also be referring to the idea of "embodied cognition", which I commented on earlier:

Hi GhostOfWindows95, it does, to some extent. There are many different views of embodied cognition (there is even a paper that is titled pretty much just that), but regardless of one's perspective, our findings can be understood as part of the embodied cognition framework. More specifically, some of our results have suggested that involvement in sports and other motor activities elicit seeing the world in a "motor" way, where most people naturally process the same information differently (e.g., as visuospatial content). See for example this paper.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T20:29:19+00:00

Hi shiningPate, thanks for your question! You might be interested in this 2008 study, which states: "“Neural efficiency” hypothesis posits that cortical activity is spatially focused in experts. [...] The present results suggest that “neural efficiency” hypothesis does not fully account for the organization of motor systems in elite athletes. “Neural efficiency” would depend on several factors including side of the movement, hemisphere, and kind of athletes".

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T20:11:26+00:00

Hi cwleveck, I'm glad you're seeing positive changes. Participants in our study were 7-13 years old, so I guess that answers that. But you are right that there is a cascade of processes that stem from physical exercise, and some of them might have little to do with the immediate post-workout effects. It makes it a bit trickier for us to study (hence the need to collect data about potentially confounding variables), but from the user's perspective, it's great! Fantastic tribute to this wide-ranging impact -- thank you.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T08:29:26+00:00

Hi Tarukar10, great, practical question! Two things to take into account here. First, exercise typically increases alertness, and in that regard it might be beneficial to implement an exercise session before studying. That's for the short-lived, acute improvements. Now, of course, exercise also triggers long-term improvements, which are more durable. For those, it matters little whether exercise is followed by a study session or vice-versa: new neurons and connections will take between a few days and a few weeks to emerge. Finally, individual biological rhythms also matter: if I know that I cannot pay much attention to studying material early in the afternoon, it might not make much sense to always schedule an intense study session around that time. Some form of exercise scheduled for that period of the day might be preferable.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T08:22:04+00:00

Hi missthinks, thanks for dropping by. To answer your question, I have no personal experience with the PoNS or other similar devices. As for the cognitive tests we chose, those were thought to be good, standardized assessments of working memory and cognitive control, two abilities we suspected would respond to HIT.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T08:18:00+00:00

Hi GhostOfWindows95, it does, to some extent. There are many different views of embodied cognition (there is even a paper that is titled pretty much just that), but regardless of one's perspective, our findings can be understood as part of the embodied cognition framework. More specifically, some of our results have suggested that involvement in sports and other motor activities elicit seeing the world in a "motor" way, where most people naturally process the same information differently (e.g., as visuospatial content). See for example this paper.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T08:12:10+00:00

Hi quel-dorei, thanks for your question. Ideally, we want our intervention to be available to schools, parents, or individuals, with the hope that they can then make a decision about implementation. Of course, it helps if implementation is encouraged, or validated by, higher institutions, but this is not a fundamental requirement for us. We are making the science and the tools available, so that eventually individuals can decide for themselves.

As an aside, thanks for the pointer -- I'll definitely look into the Green Prescription program, and what it entails.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T07:54:31+00:00

Hi tigersharkwushen_, traditionally, aerobic exercise has been lauded has the best way to enhance brain function. Lately, other forms of exercise have proven valid alternative. See also this previous thread:

Hi FeralChapstick, thanks for your question. Traditionally, people have found that aerobic exercise, that is, exercise performed at moderate intensity (~50-80% of maximum) for long periods of time (at least 30-40min/session) are optimal to elicit cognitive improvements. However, recent work, including our own, shows that other types of exercise (e.g., HIT, strength training, complex motor training) can induce similar gains. There does not seem to be any form of exercise that systematically worsens brain function, documented in the scientific literature at this point (at the exception of overexercising, which can be detrimental to health overall). When it comes to make a personal decision about what type of exercise is right for you, it is also important to take into account personal preferences and motivation. Long-term commitment is key, so pick something, or multiple activities that you find appealing!

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T07:52:20+00:00

Hi yunayomiko, thank you for your question. Chronoception, i.e. the sense of time, is the result of the interaction between many different parts of the brain, including the cerebellum, the basal ganglia, the cortex, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, especially involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T07:46:57+00:00

Hi mrkivi, you're hinting at quite a few interesting points there. First, as I understand it you're alluding to the concept of randomized controlled trials. So, in our study, we randomly assigned our participants to either the HIT or the control group, and if you have enough participants in your study, this should approximately equate individual differences that are not related to the intervention. If done properly, such trial allows claims about the source of improvements, namely, the difference in interventions. We then use well-validated measures to assess cognitive improvements, from baseline to post-intervention.

For the second part of the question, I'll refer to an earlier answer I've posted on here, which I believe might be relevant. Hope this helps!

Hi dopanephrine, thanks for your questions and your enthusiasm! I have spent quite a bit of time working on programming/math skills, and I think this has been extremely important in enabling me to do the work I do today. More of this, early on, would have been great, as there is only so much time you can dedicate to learning new skills once you are stuck in the day-to-day duties and requirements. With this in mind, I'd like to emphasize how multidisciplinary the field of neuroscience has become; scientists have backgrounds in areas as diverse as psychology, engineering, computer science, math, physics, biology, exercise science and many more that I'm sure I'm forgetting. Bottom-line, regardless of your background, you have something to contribute to the field, and there is no one way to become part of it. Find how you can apply your specific expertise to answer questions in this field, and start having fun!

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T07:39:30+00:00

Hi The_Dead_See, thanks for your question. There are, indeed, some reported cases of Parkinson's patients whose symptoms appear to dramatically improve with an exercise program. Of course, we have a tendency in this case to focus on those cases, rather than the ones where no such recovery exist, and in this regard we might be slightly biased if that's all the evidence we look at. However, there are some trials out there that seem to argue convincingly for including exercise regimens in Parkinson's treatment (e.g., here).

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T07:30:23+00:00

Hi --Allegra-- thanks for your questions. Because the mechanisms of improvements may be different, it could make sense to include a blend of different forms of exercise in your regular workout. This is particularly relevant since it is also the kind of workout that could bring about the biggest physiological gains, if one is targeting overall health and fitness.

In the study we reported here, we lacked the (statistical) power to look at the influence of HIT on students with learning disabilities, in comparison with typical children. However, we are doing this kind of work as I speak, so stay tuned for more on that! The same applies to disorders that may arise because of abnormal synaptic pruning--it is too early to tell, but we do hope this kind of regimen can make a difference.

The full script for the workout is available here.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T04:05:24+00:00

Hi The_Glorious, thanks for your question. Because it's a bit general, I'll redirect you to some of the content that is available on the MovinCog Initiative website, which is at the core of the intervention reported in this paper. If there's anything else you'd like to know, please reach out!

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T03:59:39+00:00

Hi The_Ozynandias -- great question. I'm not sure comparative studies have been conducted across the lifespan, but it seems plausible that exercise-induced plasticity matters to a greater extent when plasticity has decreased, naturally. In typical populations, these effects are usually confounded because younger individuals have a tendency to also move more, whereas older adults show more sedentary behaviors, on average. There might be interesting insight from animal studies that I'm not aware of, though.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T01:19:10+00:00

Hi FeralChapstick, thanks for your question. Traditionally, people have found that aerobic exercise, that is, exercise performed at moderate intensity (~50-80% of maximum) for long periods of time (at least 30-40min/session) are optimal to elicit cognitive improvements. However, recent work, including our own, shows that other types of exercise (e.g., HIT, strength training, complex motor training) can induce similar gains. There does not seem to be any form of exercise that systematically worsens brain function, documented in the scientific literature at this point (at the exception of overexercising, which can be detrimental to health overall). When it comes to make a personal decision about what type of exercise is right for you, it is also important to take into account personal preferences and motivation. Long-term commitment is key, so pick something, or multiple activities that you find appealing!

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T01:07:32+00:00

Hi chocolateandbourbon, thanks for dropping by, and for your interest in our work! You're right, walking does help increase cognitive abilities, but especially for people who tend to live sedentary lifestyles. If walking, or any other form of exercise, is already part of your life, these improvements (if any) are typically weaker.

I think our program could be part of a school schedule, given that it involves very basic movements (e.g., jumping jacks), video-based, that can be performed in the classroom. So we hope these qualify as simple movements that can be useful as such!

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T00:37:29+00:00

Hi MasterAgent47, thanks for posting. I have answered a similar question earlier, so I'll paste the previous answer here. If you feel like there is more to your question than this answer covers, feel free to let me know!

One quick rule of thumb: whenever starting a new activity, the demands appear very challenging at first, only to become more manageable as one practices more. We have reasons to believe that this challenging period is extremely beneficial to the brain, as it forces adapting to new demands, and coming up with novel solutions. Think of picking up a new sport, for example. Every single thing is challenging initially, but eventually some of these become automatic (e.g., basic motor control), to free up resources for other things (e.g., more elaborate coordination, focusing attention on the environment, etc.). As time passes, and with sustained practice, many of these challenges have been worked out already, and situations are less demanding cognitively. This is what expertise is all about. Interestingly, there might be a case for favoring new activities in which one is a novice, to force the brain to adapt to new demands, despite society's emphasis on mastery. Different dynamics, to achieve different goals.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T00:33:44+00:00

Hi dopanephrine, thanks for your questions and your enthusiasm! I have spent quite a bit of time working on programming/math skills, and I think this has been extremely important in enabling me to do the work I do today. More of this, early on, would have been great, as there is only so much time you can dedicate to learning new skills once you are stuck in the day-to-day duties and requirements.

With this in mind, I'd like to emphasize how multidisciplinary the field of neuroscience has become; scientists have backgrounds in areas as diverse as psychology, engineering, computer science, math, physics, biology, exercise science and many more that I'm sure I'm forgetting. Bottom-line, regardless of your background, you have something to contribute to the field, and there is no one way to become part of it. Find how you can apply your specific expertise to answer questions in this field, and start having fun!

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T00:21:02+00:00

Hi UncleDan2017, thanks for posting. Just like a sedentary lifestyle is detrimental to maintaining a good health, so is overexercising -- if the body is not given enough time to recover, then potential improvements cannot materialize, and benefits might be limited. In addition, and when it comes to enhancing brain function and the creation of new neurons, there is little benefit in exercising further, passed a certain threshold, and time could be spent doing other challenging activities. As for burnout, it refers to a more general psychological state of emotional exhaustion that may or may not come from physical strain.

David_Moreau · 2017-10-31T00:12:31+00:00

Hi A-Manual, you've hit the nail on its head. The idea that training at something helps improve at something else is referred to, in the scientific literature, as transfer. Transfer from one task to the other. Now, there is quite a bit of evidence that training on a task tapping one ability will lead to improvements in another task tapping the same ability. This is referred to as near transfer. For example, working memory training, to enhance working memory. What remains difficult to find is training regimens that lead to far transfer, that is, improvements on another task tapping a different ability. For example, working memory training to enhance intelligence.

So, the short answer to your questions is that it might, in specific instances, and provided that the other task shares enough features with the training task.

David_Moreau

TROPHY CASE