Exercise and Cognitive Decline
Depression is associated with poor cognitive functioning.
Being depressed is accompanied by slower information
processing, psychomotor retardation, and poor memory functioning.
There is growing evidence that exercise has a beneficial
impact on cognitive function in older adults [39]. Positive
effects of regular aerobic and resistance training on cognition
have been observed in studies among subjects with
and without cognitive decline [40,41]. The positive effects
on cognition occur generally and even more so for those
processes requiring greater executive control (i.e., processes
involved in scheduling, planning, monitoring, and task coordination).
Chronic exercise increases the expression of brain
growth factors and may have neurogenerative and neuroprotective
influences on the brain by stimulating the growth and
development of new cells [42].
Kubesch, Bretschneider, Freudenmann, et al. studied the
effect of single bouts of aerobic exercise on executive functions
in depressed patients [43]. In a random order, 24 patients
with major depressive disorder performed 30 minutes
cycling at 2 different workload levels of 40% and 60% of
their 4-mmol/L lactic acid exercise capacity. After the single
30-minute aerobic exercise bouts at both workload levels,
positive effects on executive control processes were observed.
The researchers suggested that the improvements
were mediated via alteration of activity of the anterior cingulate
cortex