The main aim for this study is to investigate to what extent physical activity of moderate or low intensity, relative to prolonged inactivity, may acutely alter neural activity-related prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin during a cognitive demanding task in 13- 15 year-old adolescents. The study is primarily focused on investigating these effects in ecologically valid conditions, i.e. activity patterns that closely resemble a typical day in school and using activity modes that are suitable in a school setting.
The study will be a controlled crossover experimental trial with three conditions. Each participant will complete each of the three experimental conditions, separated by a washout period of minimum four days. Physical activity behaviours and sleep will be monitored the day/night before each test day. The first visit will be a familiarization session for the collection of demographic data, fitness testing, and acquaintance with experimental procedures. On the second, third, and fourth visits, participants will undergo three different standardized 80-minutes interventions in a randomized order. Before and immediately after the 80-minutes interventions, blood pressure, augmentation index, and cerebral hemodynamic response of the prefrontal cortex during standardized cognitive tasks (nback test) will be measured. Additionally, saliva samples will be collected the morning of the test day, and before and after the interventions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
17
Participants are required to sit for 80 minutes doing schoolwork, with a toilet break in between. Every twenty minutes participants will have a short social break. Test day begins at 8:00 with pretest measures, followed by the intervention at about 9:00, which will end around 12:00, with subsequent posttest measures.
Participants are required to sit for 80 minutes doing schoolwork, with a toilet break in between. Every twenty minutes participants will have a physical activity break, where they will perform a simple moderate-intensity step-up exercise for three minutes at a predetermined pace. Test day begins at 8:00 with pretest measures, followed by the intervention at about 9:30, which will end around 12:00, with subsequent posttest measures.
The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH)
Stockholm, Sweden
Changes in cerebral blood flow
Oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration changes measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Time frame: before to after 80 minutes intervention
Cognitive performance
nback cognitive test (time and accuracy)
Time frame: before and after 80 minutes intervention
Augmentation index
measure of arterial stiffness
Time frame: before and after 80 minutes intervention
Cortisol
measured from saliva
Time frame: morning; before and after 80 minutes intervention
Mood
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) comprised of 20 affect states (10 positive and 10 negative), each affect state scored on a scale going from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely)
Time frame: at the beginning of the day; before and after 80 minutes intervention
Sleepiness
Karolinska Sleepiness Questionnaire; goes from 1 (extremely alert) to 9 (extremely sleepy)
Time frame: at the beginning of the day; before and after 80 minutes intervention
Alertness
100mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); range: 'not at all' to 'completely alert'
Time frame: at the beginning of the day; before and after 80 minutes intervention
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Participants are required to sit for 80 minutes doing schoolwork, with a toilet break in between. Every twenty minutes participants will have a physical activity break, where they will perform simple resistance activities following a video for about three minutes. Test day begins at 8:00 with pretest measures, followed by the intervention at about 9:30, which will end around 12:00, with subsequent posttest measures.