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Project Overview
- How does physical exercise improve brain functions?
- It is scientific evidence that physical exercise can enhance academic/cognifive performance.
- What is not known is the specific changes in the brain that are resulted from physical activities.
- It is not known whether such changes in the braini are resulted from mere aerobic activities or more specific physical performance in skill sets.
Rationale
- If physical exercise can improve mental functions, what is the mind-body connection that promotes such improvements?
- Are the effects differ for children from adults?
- Can physical exercise improve not just cognitive abilities but also emotional mood state?
- If so, how can effective is physical exercise in treatingmood disorders?
Research Objectives
- We want to find out what physical exercise can enhance specifically what mental performance.
- We want to determine how such aerobic activities improve cognitive functions.
- We want to identify the specific changes in the brain as a result of physical exercise.
- We want to find out if the exercise-induced changes in brain functions are associated with age, i.e., children vs. adolescents vs. adults.
- We want to find out if physical exercise can improve mood adn emotional functions mentally.
Specific Goals
- Determine the key variables of physical exercise that will enhance brain functions, i.e., what types of exercise.
- Determine the key variables of mental performance improvement, i.e., specifically what cognitive enhancements are.
- Determine the neural correlates of the changes in the brain resulted from physical exercises.
- Determine age-related changes in brain functions associated with physical activities.
- Determine changes in emotional mood that are correlated with aerobic activities.
The Challenge
- Which types of exercise will improve mental performance and which type does not?
- Which type of cognitive performance is enhanced and which type does not?
- How does physical exercise translate into mental performance improvements?
- What changes are involved in the brain that are resulted from increased physical activities?
- Does the skills set acquired in physical exercise translate into similar skill sets mentally?
The Solutions
- Determine the variables in physical activities that are correlated with variables associated with the improved mental performance.
- Identify the neural correlates using optical imaging and EEG activities that are associated with skilled/motivated physical exercise vs. aerobic exercise without any skill sets.
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