The acute effects of varying intensities of treadmill walking exercise on cognition in persons with multiple sclerosis

Background: Exercise training represents a promising approach for managing cognitive impairment in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). There is preliminary evidence that treadmill walking exercise might be the modality of exercise that exerts the greatest beneficial effects on executive control in persons with mild MS disability. However, the dose-dependent effects of varying intensities of treadmill walking exercise on this cognitive function are unknown. Such an investigation is critical for providing the final data for delineating the optimal exercise stimulus (or stimuli) for improving executive control in persons with MS. Objectives: The present study compared the acute effects of light, moderate, and vigorous intensity treadmill walking exercise on multiple aspects of executive control (i.e., interference control and response inhibition) relative to quiet rest in 24 persons with mild MS disability, using a within-subjects, repeated-measures experimental design. Methods: Participants completed four experimental conditions that consisted of 20 minutes of light intensity treadmill walking exercise, moderate intensity treadmill walking exercise, vigorous intensity treadmill walking exercise, and quiet rest in a randomized, counterbalanced order. Participants underwent a modified-flanker task and Go/No-Go task as measures of executive control immediately prior to and following each condition. Results: Repeated-measures ANOVAs indicated large, statistically significant pre-to-post reductions in the cost of interfering stimuli on reaction time, but not accuracy, on the modified-flanker task for light, moderate, and vigorous intensity exercise compared with quiet rest (F(3,69)=4.27,p=.01,ηp2=.16) that were similar in magnitude. There further were no overall effects of exercise intensities on percent accuracy from the Go/No-Go task (F(3,69)=0.33,p=.81,ηp2=.01), compared with quiet rest. Conclusions: The present results support light, moderate, and vigorous intensity treadmill walking as exercise stimuli that might particularly benefit speed-related aspects of executive control (i.e., interference control of reaction time). This represents the final step in delineating the optimal exercise stimuli for inclusion in a subsequent longitudinal exercise training intervention for improving this cognitive function in persons with mild MS disability.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Kinesiology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Sandroff, Brian M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Motl, Robert W.
• Benedict, Ralph H.B.
• Hillman, Charles H.
• McAuley, Edward
• Pilutti, Lara A.

• Cognition
• Exercise
• Multiple Sclerosis

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2015 Brian Sandroff

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/88137

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/88137