TY - JOUR A1 - Herold, Fabian A1 - Behrendt, Tom A1 - Meißner, Caroline A1 - Müller, Notger Germar A1 - Schega, Lutz T1 - The Influence of acute sprint interval training on cognitive performance of healthy younger adults JF - International journal of environmental research and public health : IJERPH / Molecular Diversity Preservation International N2 - There is considerable evidence showing that an acute bout of physical exercises can improve cognitive performance, but the optimal exercise characteristics (e.g., exercise type and exercise intensity) remain elusive. In this regard, there is a gap in the literature to which extent sprint interval training (SIT) can enhance cognitive performance. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of a time-efficient SIT, termed as "shortened-sprint reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training" (SSREHIT), on cognitive performance. Nineteen healthy adults aged 20-28 years were enrolled and assessed for attentional performance (via the d2 test), working memory performance (via Digit Span Forward/Backward), and peripheral blood lactate concentration immediately before and 10 min after an SSREHIT and a cognitive engagement control condition (i.e., reading). We observed that SSREHIT can enhance specific aspects of attentional performance, as it improved the percent error rate (F%) in the d-2 test (t (18) = -2.249, p = 0.037, d = -0.516), which constitutes a qualitative measure of precision and thoroughness. However, SSREHIT did not change other measures of attentional or working memory performance. In addition, we observed that the exercise-induced increase in the peripheral blood lactate levels correlated with changes in attentional performance, i.e., the total number of responses (GZ) (r(m) = 0.70, p < 0.001), objective measures of concentration (SKL) (r(m) = 0.73, p < 0.001), and F% (r(m) = -0.54, p = 0.015). The present study provides initial evidence that a single bout of SSREHIT can improve specific aspects of attentional performance and conforming evidence for a positive link between cognitive improvements and changes in peripheral blood lactate levels. KW - sprint interval training KW - acute exercise KW - cognition KW - lactate KW - exercise-cognition Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010613 SN - 1660-4601 VL - 19 IS - 1 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - THES A1 - Herold, Fabian T1 - Kraft und Kognition T1 - Muscular strength and cognition BT - Analyse des Zusammenhangs von muskulärer Kraftleistungsfähigkeit, funktionellen und strukturellen Gehirnparametern und kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit BT - an analysis of the relationships between muscular strength, functional and structural brain parameters, and cognitive performance N2 - Die in den letzten Jahren aus Querschnittstudien gewonnenen empirischen Erkenntnisse deuten auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen muskulärer Kraftleistungsfähigkeit und kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit hin [10]. Diese Beobachtung wird von Längsschnittstudien gestützt, bei denen in Folge gezielter Krafttrainingsinterventionen, welche typischerweise zur Steigerung der muskulären Kraftleistungsfähigkeit führen, Verbesserungen der kognitiven Leistungsfähigkeit dokumentiert werden konnten [11]. Die zugrundeliegenden Mechanismen, die den Zusammenhang zwischen muskulärer Kraftleistungsfähigkeit und kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit begründen, sind jedoch noch nicht vollständig bekannt und bedürfen weiterer Forschung [10,12]. Vor diesem Hintergrund hatten die im Rahmen dieser Dissertation durchgeführten Forschungsarbeiten das übergeordnete Ziel, die Mechanismen zu untersuchen, welche den Zusammenhang zwischen der muskulären Kraftleistungsfähigkeit und der kognitiven Leistungsfähigkeit erklären können. In dieser Arbeit wurden dazu unterschiedliche Populationen (junge Menschen und ältere Menschen ohne und mit leichten kognitiven Störungen) unter Anwendung verschiedener untersuchungsmethodischer Ansätze (systematische Literaturrecherche, Doppelaufgabenparadigma und funktionelle Nahinfrarotspektroskopie) untersucht. Aufgrund der im Rahmen dieser Dissertation durchgeführten Forschungsarbeiten, die konsekutiv aufeinander aufbauen, konnten folgende Haupterkenntnisse gewonnen werden: • Um einen umfassenden Überblick über die aktuelle Evidenzlage zum Thema Kraftleistungsfähigkeit und kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit sowie den zugrundeliegenden neuronalen Korrelaten zu erlangen, wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche zu diesem Forschungsthema durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse dieser systematischen Literaturrecherche dokumentieren, dass ein gezieltes Krafttraining neben der Steigerung der kognitiven Leistungsfähigkeit zu funktionellen und strukturellen Veränderungen des Gehirns, insbesondere in frontalen Gehirnregionen, führen kann [13]. Ferner zeigen die Ergebnisse dieser systematischen Literaturrecherche, bei der eine begrenzte Anzahl verfügbarer Studien (n = 18) identifiziert wurde, den Bedarf weiterer Forschungsarbeiten zu diesem Themenfeld an [13]. • Zur Überprüfung der Hypothese, dass zur Ausführung von Krafttrainingsübungen höhere kognitive Prozesse benötigt werden, wurde in einer experimentellen Studie bei jüngeren gesunden Erwachsenen das Doppelaufgabenparadigma bei der Krafttrainingsübung Knie-beuge angewendet. Die in dieser Studie beobachteten Doppelaufgabenkosten bei der Ausführung der Krafttrainingsübung Kniebeuge (im Vergleich zur Kontrollbedingung Stehen) deuten auf die Beteiligung höherer kognitiver Prozesse zur Lösung dieser Bewegungsaufgabe hin und bestätigen die aufgestellte Hypothese [14]. • Um die Hypothese zu untersuchen, dass spezifische neuronale Korrelate (funktionelle Gehirnaktivität) den Zusammenhang zwischen muskulärer Kraftleistungsfähigkeit und kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit vermitteln, wurde bei jungen gesunden Erwachsenen der Zusammenhang zwischen der Ausprägung der maximalen Handgriffkraft (normalisiert auf den Body-Mass-Index) und der kortikalen hämodynamischen Antwortreaktion untersucht, die bei der Durchführung eines standardisierten kognitiven Tests mittels funktioneller Nahinfrarotspektroskopie in präfrontalen Gehirnarealen gemessen wurde. Im Rahmen dieser Querschnittsstudie konnte die initiale Hypothese nicht vollständig bestätigt werden, da zwar Zusammenhänge zwischen maximaler Handgriffkraft und kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit mit Parametern der hämodynamischen Antwortreaktion beobachtet wurden, aber die Ausprägung der maximalen Handgriffkraft nicht im Zusammenhang mit der Kurzeitgedächtnisleistung stand [16]. • Zur Untersuchung der Annahme, dass eine vorliegende neurologische Erkrankung (im Speziellen eine leichte kognitive Störung), die typischerweise mit Veränderungen von spezifischen neuronalen Korrelaten (z.B. des Hippokampus‘ [17-19] und des präfrontalen Kortex‘ [20,21]) einhergeht, einen Einfluss auf die Assoziation zwischen muskulärer Kraftleistungsfähigkeit und kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit hat, wurde in einer Querschnittsstudie der Zusammenhang zwischen der Ausprägung der maximalen Handgriffkraft (normalisiert auf den Body-Mass-Index) und der Ausprägung der exekutiven Funktionen bei älteren Erwachsenen mit amnestischem und nicht-amnestischem Subtyp der leichten kognitiven Störung sowie gesunden älteren Erwachsenen untersucht. In dieser Querschnittsstudie wurde nur bei älteren Erwachsenen mit dem amnestischen Subtyp der leichten kognitiven Störung ein Zusammenhang zwischen maximaler Handgriffkraft und exekutiven Funktionen beobachtet. Solch eine Korrelation existiert jedoch nicht bei älteren Erwachsenen mit dem non-amnestischen Subtyp der leichten kognitiven Störung oder bei gesunden älteren Erwachsenen [24]. • In einem Perspektivenartikel wurde aufgezeigt, wie durch die theoriegeleitete Nutzung physiologischer Effekte, die bei einer speziellen Krafttrainingsmethode durch die Moderation des peripheren Blutflusses mittels Manschetten oder Bändern auftreten, insbesondere Populationen mit niedriger mechanischer Belastbarkeit von den positiven Effekten des Krafttrainings auf die Gehirngesundheit profitieren könnten [25]. Insgesamt deuten die Ergebnisse der in dieser Dissertation zusammengeführten und aufeinander aufbauenden Forschungsarbeiten auf das Vorhandensein von gemeinsamen neuronalen Korrelaten (z.B. frontaler Kortex) hin, die sowohl für die muskuläre Kraftleistungsfähigkeit als auch für höhere kognitive Prozesse eine wichtige Rolle spielen [26]. Betrachtet man die in der vorliegenden Dissertation gewonnenen Erkenntnisse im Verbund mit den bereits in der Literatur existieren-den empirischen Belegen, unterstützen sie die Sichtweise, dass eine relativ hohe muskuläre Kraftleistungsfähigkeit und deren Erhalt durch gezielte Krafttrainingsinterventionen über die Lebenspanne positive Effekte auf die (Gehirn-)Gesundheit haben können [27]. N2 - In recent years, the findings from cross-sectional studies have suggested a relationship between muscular strength and cognitive performance [10]. This observation is supported by longitudinal studies in which improvements in cognitive performance have been documented in response to resistance training interventions which typically lead to an increase in muscular strength [11]. However, the underlying mechanisms that drive the association between muscular strength and cognitive performance are yet not fully understood and require further research [10,12]. With this in mind, the research conducted in this dissertation aimed to investigate the mechanisms that can explain the associations between muscular strength and cognitive performance. In this work, different populations (i.e., younger adults, and older adults without and with mild cognitive impairment) were studied using several methodological approaches (i.e., systematic literature review, dual-task paradigm, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy). The following key findings have emerged from the research that has been conducted in the context of this dissertation: • In order to obtain a comprehensive overview of the current state of evidence regarding the associations of muscular strength and cognitive performance, as well as the underlying neuronal correlates, a systematic literature review has been conducted. The results of this systematic literature review revealed that resistance training not only improves cognitive performance but also leads to functional and structural changes in the brain, particularly in frontal brain regions [13]. Furthermore, the limited number of available studies (n = 18) that have been identified in the course of this systematic review, suggests that further research on this topic is necessary to draw more robust conclusions [13]. • To test the hypothesis that higher-level cognitive processes are required to perform resistance exercises, we conducted in younger adults an experimental study in which we utilized the dual-task paradigm while participants performed squats. In this study, we observed cognitive dual-task costs during the squatting condition (as compared to the control condition standing). The latter finding points towards an involvement of higher cognitive processes in the motor control of squats and confirms our above-stated hypothesis [14]. • To investigate the hypothesis that specific neural correlates (functional brain activity) mediate the relationship between muscular strength and cognitive performance, we studied in healthy younger adults the relationship between maximal handgrip strength (normalized to body mass index) and the cortical hemodynamic response measured in prefrontal brain areas during the performance of a standardized cognitive test by applying functional near-infrared spectroscopy. In this cross-sectional study, the initial hypothesis was only partly confirmed as we observed correlations between maximal handgrip strength and cognitive performance with parameters of the cortical hemodynamic response. However, we did not find compelling evidence for a relationship between maximal handgrip strength and short-term memory performance nor for a mediation [16]. • To investigate the hypothesis that the presence of a neurological disorder (in particular mild cognitive impairment), which is typically linked to changes in specific neural correlates (e.g. of the hippocampus [17-19] and prefrontal cortex [20,21]), has an effect on the association between muscular strength and cognitive performance, we studied in older adults with amnestic and non-amnestic subtypes of mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults possible group differences concerning the associations between maximal handgrip strength (normalized to body mass index) and executive functions. In this cross-sectional study, a correlation between maximal handgrip strength and executive functions was only observed in older adults with the amnestic subtype of mild cognitive impairment. However, such a correlation was not noticed in older adults with the non-amnestic subtype of mild cognitive impairment or healthy older adults [24]. • In a perspective article, we provide a theory-driven rationale on how the physiological processes induced by a novel resistance training method that is based on the modulation of the peripheral blood flow by applying cuffs or bands (also known as blood flow restriction training; BFR) can be a promising intervention strategy to foster brain health, especially in populations with low mechanical stress tolerance [25]. Taken together, the results of the research being described and summarized in this dissertation suggest that the association between muscular strength and higher cognitive processes relies upon shared neural correlates (e.g., frontal cortex) [26]. In conjunction with the empirical evidence that already exists in the scientific literature, the findings of the studies presented in this dissertation support the view that a relatively high level of muscular strength and its preservation over the lifespan by means of resistance training can have positive effects on (brain) health [27]. KW - körperliche Aktivität KW - Gehirn KW - Gesundheit KW - Kognition KW - Demenz KW - dementia KW - brain KW - health KW - cognition KW - physical activity Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-611181 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Herold, Fabian A1 - Theobald, Paula A1 - Gronwald, Thomas A1 - Rapp, Michael Armin A1 - Müller, Notger Germar T1 - Going digital – a commentary on the terminology used at the intersection of physical activity and digital health T2 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Gesundheitswissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - In recent years digital technologies have become a major means for providing health-related services and this trend was strongly reinforced by the current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As it is well-known that regular physical activity has positive effects on individual physical and mental health and thus is an important prerequisite for healthy aging, digital technologies are also increasingly used to promote unstructured and structured forms of physical activity. However, in the course of this development, several terms (e.g., Digital Health, Electronic Health, Mobile Health, Telehealth, Telemedicine, and Telerehabilitation) have been introduced to refer to the application of digital technologies to provide health-related services such as physical interventions. Unfortunately, the above-mentioned terms are often used in several different ways, but also relatively interchangeably. Given that ambiguous terminology is a major source of difficulty in scientific communication which can impede the progress of theoretical and empirical research, this article aims to make the reader aware of the subtle differences between the relevant terms which are applied at the intersection of physical activity and Digital Health and to provide state-of-art definitions for them. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Gesundheitswissenschaftliche Reihe - 5 KW - Digital Health KW - Electronic Health KW - Mobile Health KW - Telehealth KW - Telemedicine KW - Physical activity KW - Physical training KW - Aging Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-581301 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herold, Fabian A1 - Theobald, Paula A1 - Gronwald, Thomas A1 - Rapp, Michael Armin A1 - Müller, Notger Germar T1 - Going digital – a commentary on the terminology used at the intersection of physical activity and digital health JF - European review of aging and physical activity N2 - In recent years digital technologies have become a major means for providing health-related services and this trend was strongly reinforced by the current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As it is well-known that regular physical activity has positive effects on individual physical and mental health and thus is an important prerequisite for healthy aging, digital technologies are also increasingly used to promote unstructured and structured forms of physical activity. However, in the course of this development, several terms (e.g., Digital Health, Electronic Health, Mobile Health, Telehealth, Telemedicine, and Telerehabilitation) have been introduced to refer to the application of digital technologies to provide health-related services such as physical interventions. Unfortunately, the above-mentioned terms are often used in several different ways, but also relatively interchangeably. Given that ambiguous terminology is a major source of difficulty in scientific communication which can impede the progress of theoretical and empirical research, this article aims to make the reader aware of the subtle differences between the relevant terms which are applied at the intersection of physical activity and Digital Health and to provide state-of-art definitions for them. KW - Digital Health KW - Electronic Health KW - Mobile Health KW - Telehealth KW - Telemedicine KW - Physical activity KW - Physical training KW - Aging Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s11556-022-00296-y SN - 1861-6909 VL - 19 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ; Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Behrendt, Tom A1 - Bielitzki, Robert A1 - Behrens, Martin A1 - Herold, Fabian A1 - Schega, Lutz T1 - Effects of intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia on performance- and health-related outcomes in humans BT - a systematic review JF - Sports medicine - open N2 - Background: Intermittent hypoxia applied at rest or in combination with exercise promotes multiple beneficial adaptations with regard to performance and health in humans. It was hypothesized that replacing normoxia by moderate hyperoxia can increase the adaptive response to the intermittent hypoxic stimulus. Objective: Our objective was to systematically review the current state of the literature on the effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia (IHH) on performance- and health-related outcomes in humans. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science (TM), Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were searched in accordance with PRISMA guidelines (January 2000 to September 2021) using the following inclusion criteria: (1) original research articles involving humans, (2) investigation of the chronic effect of IHH, (3) inclusion of a control group being not exposed to IHH, and (4) articles published in peer-reviewed journals written in English. Results: Of 1085 articles initially found, eight studies were included. IHH was solely performed at rest in different populations including geriatric patients (n = 1), older patients with cardiovascular (n = 3) and metabolic disease (n = 2) or cognitive impairment (n = 1), and young athletes with overtraining syndrome (n = 1). The included studies confirmed the beneficial effects of chronic exposure to IHH, showing improvements in exercise tolerance, peak oxygen uptake, and global cognitive functions, as well as lowered blood glucose levels. A trend was discernible that chronic exposure to IHH can trigger a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The evidence of whether IHH exerts beneficial effects on blood lipid levels and haematological parameters is currently inconclusive. A meta-analysis was not possible because the reviewed studies had a considerable heterogeneity concerning the investigated populations and outcome parameters. Conclusion: Based on the published literature, it can be suggested that chronic exposure to IHH might be a promising non-pharmacological intervention strategy for improving peak oxygen consumption, exercise tolerance, and cognitive performance as well as reducing blood glucose levels, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in older patients with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases or cognitive impairment. However, further randomized controlled trials with adequate sample sizes are needed to confirm and extend the evidence. This systematic review was registered on the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO-ID: CRD42021281248) (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/). KW - hypoxic conditioning KW - cognitive impairment KW - metabolic disease KW - cardiovascular disease KW - geriatrics KW - therapy Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-022-00450-x SN - 2199-1170 SN - 2198-9761 VL - 8 IS - 1 PB - Springer CY - Berlin [u.a.] ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herold, Fabian A1 - Labott, Berit K. A1 - Grässler, Bernhard A1 - Halfpaap, Nicole A1 - Langhans, Corinna A1 - Müller, Patrick A1 - Ammar, Achraf A1 - Dordevic, Milos A1 - Hökelmann, Anita A1 - Müller, Notger Germar T1 - A Link between Handgrip Strength and Executive Functioning: A Cross-Sectional Study in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Controls JF - Healthcare : open access journal N2 - Older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who in addition to their memory deficits also suffer from frontal-executive dysfunctions have a higher risk of developing dementia later in their lives than older adults with aMCI without executive deficits and older adults with non-amnestic MCI (naMCI). Handgrip strength (HGS) is also correlated with the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the associations between HGS and executive functioning in individuals with aMCI, naMCI and healthy controls. Older, right-handed adults with amnestic MCI (aMCI), non-amnestic MCI (naMCI), and healthy controls (HC) conducted a handgrip strength measurement via a handheld dynamometer. Executive functions were assessed with the Trail Making Test (TMT A&B). Normalized handgrip strength (nHGS, normalized to Body Mass Index (BMI)) was calculated and its associations with executive functions (operationalized through z-scores of TMT B/A ratio) were investigated through partial correlation analyses (i.e., accounting for age, sex, and severity of depressive symptoms). A positive and low-to-moderate correlation between right nHGS (rp (22) = 0.364; p = 0.063) and left nHGS (rp (22) = 0.420; p = 0.037) and executive functioning in older adults with aMCI but not in naMCI or HC was observed. Our results suggest that higher levels of nHGS are linked to better executive functioning in aMCI but not naMCI and HC. This relationship is perhaps driven by alterations in the integrity of the hippocampal-prefrontal network occurring in older adults with aMCI. Further research is needed to provide empirical evidence for this assumption. KW - MCI KW - hippocampal-prefrontal network KW - handgrip strength KW - exercise cognition KW - aging KW - brain health Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10020230 SN - 2227-9032 VL - 10 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - MDPI CY - Basel, Schweiz ET - 2 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Herold, Fabian A1 - Labott, Berit K. A1 - Grässler, Bernhard A1 - Halfpaap, Nicole A1 - Langhans, Corinna A1 - Müller, Patrick A1 - Ammar, Achraf A1 - Dordevic, Milos A1 - Hökelmann, Anita A1 - Müller, Notger Germar T1 - A Link between Handgrip Strength and Executive Functioning: A Cross-Sectional Study in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Controls T2 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who in addition to their memory deficits also suffer from frontal-executive dysfunctions have a higher risk of developing dementia later in their lives than older adults with aMCI without executive deficits and older adults with non-amnestic MCI (naMCI). Handgrip strength (HGS) is also correlated with the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the associations between HGS and executive functioning in individuals with aMCI, naMCI and healthy controls. Older, right-handed adults with amnestic MCI (aMCI), non-amnestic MCI (naMCI), and healthy controls (HC) conducted a handgrip strength measurement via a handheld dynamometer. Executive functions were assessed with the Trail Making Test (TMT A&B). Normalized handgrip strength (nHGS, normalized to Body Mass Index (BMI)) was calculated and its associations with executive functions (operationalized through z-scores of TMT B/A ratio) were investigated through partial correlation analyses (i.e., accounting for age, sex, and severity of depressive symptoms). A positive and low-to-moderate correlation between right nHGS (rp (22) = 0.364; p = 0.063) and left nHGS (rp (22) = 0.420; p = 0.037) and executive functioning in older adults with aMCI but not in naMCI or HC was observed. Our results suggest that higher levels of nHGS are linked to better executive functioning in aMCI but not naMCI and HC. This relationship is perhaps driven by alterations in the integrity of the hippocampal-prefrontal network occurring in older adults with aMCI. Further research is needed to provide empirical evidence for this assumption. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 775 KW - MCI KW - hippocampal-prefrontal network KW - handgrip strength KW - exercise cognition KW - aging KW - brain health Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-559251 SN - 1866-8364 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER -