P-14 Fit or Frazzled? Comparing the Effects of Stress vs. Exercise on the Brain
Presenter Status
MS student, Department of Biology
Second Presenter Status
MS student, Department of Biology
Third Presenter Status
BS student, Department of Biology
Fourth Presenter Status
Professor, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Fifth Presenter Status
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology
Preferred Session
Poster Session
Start Date
30-10-2015 2:00 PM
End Date
30-10-2015 3:00 PM
Presentation Abstract
College freshmen face several unique stressors, such as adjusting to a new living and academic environment and dealing with mounting financial obligations. Chronic stress leads to structural changes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus that cause cognitive impairment. But interestingly, exercise is a physical stressor that facilitates function in these brain areas. The goals of the current study were to: 1) compare the effects of physical fitness vs. stress on memory performance in college freshmen (n=22), and 2) compare the effects of fitness vs. stress on the students’ acute stress response. Preliminary data indicated that higher fitness levels may have been associated with improved hippocampus-dependent memory scores (p = 0.08, Cohen’s d=0.7) , but not prefrontal cortex memory. Higher fit students had an increased salivary cortisol response but decreased blood pressure response to a mild, cognitive stressor (p < 0.05). Students with higher self-reports of stress performed significantly worse on the prefrontal cortex-based task (p < 0.05) and showed a statistical trend for impairment on the hippocampus-based task (p = 0.06). Higher stress levels resulted in a significant decrease in salivary cortisol and increase in blood pressure to a mild, cognitive stressor (p < 0.05).
P-14 Fit or Frazzled? Comparing the Effects of Stress vs. Exercise on the Brain
College freshmen face several unique stressors, such as adjusting to a new living and academic environment and dealing with mounting financial obligations. Chronic stress leads to structural changes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus that cause cognitive impairment. But interestingly, exercise is a physical stressor that facilitates function in these brain areas. The goals of the current study were to: 1) compare the effects of physical fitness vs. stress on memory performance in college freshmen (n=22), and 2) compare the effects of fitness vs. stress on the students’ acute stress response. Preliminary data indicated that higher fitness levels may have been associated with improved hippocampus-dependent memory scores (p = 0.08, Cohen’s d=0.7) , but not prefrontal cortex memory. Higher fit students had an increased salivary cortisol response but decreased blood pressure response to a mild, cognitive stressor (p < 0.05). Students with higher self-reports of stress performed significantly worse on the prefrontal cortex-based task (p < 0.05) and showed a statistical trend for impairment on the hippocampus-based task (p = 0.06). Higher stress levels resulted in a significant decrease in salivary cortisol and increase in blood pressure to a mild, cognitive stressor (p < 0.05).
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by a Faculty Research Grant through the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship at Andrews University.