The effects of aerobic exercise on goal-directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety: an EEG study
Abstract Anxiety is known to significantly impair cognitive function, particularly attentional control. While exercise has been demonstrated to alleviate these cognitive deficits, the precise neural mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. This study examines the effects of exer...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02376-x |
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| author | Mengyang He Jinxia Guo Shunyao Yu Hao Lian Ruijie Zhan Rongrong Luo Zhifei Shi Zhidong Zhuang Wenpeng Cai |
| author_facet | Mengyang He Jinxia Guo Shunyao Yu Hao Lian Ruijie Zhan Rongrong Luo Zhifei Shi Zhidong Zhuang Wenpeng Cai |
| author_sort | Mengyang He |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Anxiety is known to significantly impair cognitive function, particularly attentional control. While exercise has been demonstrated to alleviate these cognitive deficits, the precise neural mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. This study examines the effects of exercise on attentional control in individuals with high trait anxiety, based on attentional control theory, which suggests that such individuals have reduced top-down attention. Thirty-eight participants were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a reading group. The exercise group engaged in 30 min of moderate-intensity cycling, while the reading group spent 30 min reading quietly. In Experiment 1, goal-directed attention was assessed using a cue-object paradigm, and in Experiment 2, inhibitory control was evaluated through a visual search task. EEG data indicated that the exercise group exhibited significantly larger Pd components in both experiments, suggesting enhanced attentional focus and improved inhibition of distractors. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise enhances top-down attentional processes, particularly goal-directed attention and distractor inhibition, offering potential as an intervention for individuals with high trait anxiety. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6ad26cab01b5491bb77ba76bb190d465 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-6ad26cab01b5491bb77ba76bb190d4652025-02-02T12:48:05ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-01-0113111410.1186/s40359-025-02376-xThe effects of aerobic exercise on goal-directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety: an EEG studyMengyang He0Jinxia Guo1Shunyao Yu2Hao Lian3Ruijie Zhan4Rongrong Luo5Zhifei Shi6Zhidong Zhuang7Wenpeng Cai8Department of Psychology, School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports UniversityDepartment of Psychology, School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports UniversityDepartment of Psychology, School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Naval Medical UniversityDepartment of Psychology, School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports UniversityDepartment of Psychology, School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports UniversityDepartment of Psychology, School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports UniversityDepartment of Psychology, School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Naval Medical UniversityAbstract Anxiety is known to significantly impair cognitive function, particularly attentional control. While exercise has been demonstrated to alleviate these cognitive deficits, the precise neural mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. This study examines the effects of exercise on attentional control in individuals with high trait anxiety, based on attentional control theory, which suggests that such individuals have reduced top-down attention. Thirty-eight participants were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a reading group. The exercise group engaged in 30 min of moderate-intensity cycling, while the reading group spent 30 min reading quietly. In Experiment 1, goal-directed attention was assessed using a cue-object paradigm, and in Experiment 2, inhibitory control was evaluated through a visual search task. EEG data indicated that the exercise group exhibited significantly larger Pd components in both experiments, suggesting enhanced attentional focus and improved inhibition of distractors. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise enhances top-down attentional processes, particularly goal-directed attention and distractor inhibition, offering potential as an intervention for individuals with high trait anxiety.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02376-xHigh trait anxietyAcute aerobic exerciseTop-down attention processPd |
| spellingShingle | Mengyang He Jinxia Guo Shunyao Yu Hao Lian Ruijie Zhan Rongrong Luo Zhifei Shi Zhidong Zhuang Wenpeng Cai The effects of aerobic exercise on goal-directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety: an EEG study BMC Psychology High trait anxiety Acute aerobic exercise Top-down attention process Pd |
| title | The effects of aerobic exercise on goal-directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety: an EEG study |
| title_full | The effects of aerobic exercise on goal-directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety: an EEG study |
| title_fullStr | The effects of aerobic exercise on goal-directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety: an EEG study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of aerobic exercise on goal-directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety: an EEG study |
| title_short | The effects of aerobic exercise on goal-directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety: an EEG study |
| title_sort | effects of aerobic exercise on goal directed attention and inhibitory control in individuals with high trait anxiety an eeg study |
| topic | High trait anxiety Acute aerobic exercise Top-down attention process Pd |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02376-x |
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