Characterizing the Synergistic Effects of Physical and Cognitive Training on Attention and Working Memory

Characterizing the Synergistic Effects of Physical and Cognitive Training on Attention and Working Memory

The primary goal of this project is to evidence potential synergistic benefits on cognitive control processes using a video game ("Body-Brain Trainer", or BBT) that integrates cognitive and physical challenges in a complimentary fashion. Healthy adults will be recruited for a longitudinal experiment and randomly assigned to one of four study groups to mechanistically tease apart the possible presence of any synergistic effects on cognitive abilities through the combination of cognitive & physical challenges.

Cognitive control functions (e.g. attention, working memory, goal-management) dictate our ability to learn and accomplish selected behavioral goals, with deficiencies in these processes found in a range of mental illnesses. The primary goal of this project is to evidence potential synergistic benefits on cognitive control processes using a video game ("Body-Brain Trainer", or BBT) that integrates cognitive and physical challenges in a complimentary fashion. Healthy adults will be recruited for a longitudinal experiment and randomly assigned to one of four study groups: 1) BBT, 2) "Brain Training" (BBT played with a gamepad controller), 3) "Body Training" (BBT without any cognitive demands), and 4) an expectancy matched placebo control group. Individuals will engage in eight weeks of training within our Neuroscape Laboratory, with pre- and post-training assessments evaluating physical, cognitive, and neural measures. The completion of this project will result in a more sophisticated understanding of how the integration of cognitive and physical training potentially impacts cognitive control processes, setting the stage for more effective interventions for mental illness and learning-related impairments.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Can walk briskly for at least 15 minutes continuously without stopping
• Can stand up from a chair without using your hands
• Available to come 3x/week to our UCSF Mission Bay laboratory for 8 weeks
• Willing and able to undergo MRI, EEG procedures
• English fluency

Exclusion Criteria:

• cardiac problems
• bypass surgery
• pacemaker or heart valve replacement
• stroke
• respiratory conditions
• head trauma with loss of consciousness for less than a few minutes
• severe head trauma with loss of consciousness for more than a few minutes
• high/low blood pressure
• kidney failure
• electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• seizures
• implanted electrodes
• cancer/chemotherapy/radiation
• diabetes
• irritable bowel syndrome
• back problems
• claustrophobia
• Having been diagnosed with a psychiatric or neurological disorder
• Use of an assistive device (e.g., cane or walker) at any time to assist with ambulation
• Joint problems causing significant pain upon movement
• Heart Disease or Cardiovascular Disease
• Respiratory Disease (Lung Disease)