Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity Increase

Acute moderate exercise has been shown to induce prolonged changes in functional connectivity (FC) within affect and reward networks. The influence of different exercise intensities on FC has not yet been explored. Twenty-five male athletes underwent 30 min of “low”- (35%<lactate threshold (LT))...

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Main Authors: Angelika Schmitt, Neeraj Upadhyay, Jason Anthony Martin, Sandra Rojas Vega, Heiko Klaus Strüder, Henning Boecker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7905387
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author Angelika Schmitt
Neeraj Upadhyay
Jason Anthony Martin
Sandra Rojas Vega
Heiko Klaus Strüder
Henning Boecker
author_facet Angelika Schmitt
Neeraj Upadhyay
Jason Anthony Martin
Sandra Rojas Vega
Heiko Klaus Strüder
Henning Boecker
author_sort Angelika Schmitt
collection DOAJ
description Acute moderate exercise has been shown to induce prolonged changes in functional connectivity (FC) within affect and reward networks. The influence of different exercise intensities on FC has not yet been explored. Twenty-five male athletes underwent 30 min of “low”- (35%<lactate threshold (LT)) and “high”- (20%>LT) intensity exercise bouts on a treadmill. Resting-state fMRI was acquired at 3 Tesla before and after exercise, together with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). Data of 22 subjects (3 dropouts) were analyzed using the FSL feat pipeline and a seed-to-network-based analysis with the bilateral amygdala as the seed region for determining associated FC changes in the “emotional brain.” Data were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA. Comparisons between pre- and post-exercise were analyzed using a one-sample t-test, and a paired t-test was used for the comparison between “low” and “high” exercise conditions (nonparametric randomization approach, results reported at p<0.05). Both exercise interventions induced significant increases in the PANAS positive affect scale. There was a significant interaction effect of amygdalar FC to the right anterior insula, and this amygdalar-insular FC correlated significantly with the PANAS positive affect scale (r=0.47, p=0.048) in the “high”-intensity exercise condition. Our findings suggest that mood changes after exercise are associated with prolonged alterations in amygdalar-insular FC and occur in an exercise intensity-dependent manner.
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spelling doaj-art-75a43586d0f2437ab9c14171bcc538cc2025-08-20T03:35:22ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432020-01-01202010.1155/2020/79053877905387Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity IncreaseAngelika Schmitt0Neeraj Upadhyay1Jason Anthony Martin2Sandra Rojas Vega3Heiko Klaus Strüder4Henning Boecker5Functional Neuroimaging Group, Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, Building 7, 53127 Bonn, GermanyGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Venusberg-Campus 1, Building 99, 53127 Bonn, GermanyFunctional Neuroimaging Group, Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, Building 7, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, GermanyInstitute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, GermanyFunctional Neuroimaging Group, Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, Building 7, 53127 Bonn, GermanyAcute moderate exercise has been shown to induce prolonged changes in functional connectivity (FC) within affect and reward networks. The influence of different exercise intensities on FC has not yet been explored. Twenty-five male athletes underwent 30 min of “low”- (35%<lactate threshold (LT)) and “high”- (20%>LT) intensity exercise bouts on a treadmill. Resting-state fMRI was acquired at 3 Tesla before and after exercise, together with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). Data of 22 subjects (3 dropouts) were analyzed using the FSL feat pipeline and a seed-to-network-based analysis with the bilateral amygdala as the seed region for determining associated FC changes in the “emotional brain.” Data were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA. Comparisons between pre- and post-exercise were analyzed using a one-sample t-test, and a paired t-test was used for the comparison between “low” and “high” exercise conditions (nonparametric randomization approach, results reported at p<0.05). Both exercise interventions induced significant increases in the PANAS positive affect scale. There was a significant interaction effect of amygdalar FC to the right anterior insula, and this amygdalar-insular FC correlated significantly with the PANAS positive affect scale (r=0.47, p=0.048) in the “high”-intensity exercise condition. Our findings suggest that mood changes after exercise are associated with prolonged alterations in amygdalar-insular FC and occur in an exercise intensity-dependent manner.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7905387
spellingShingle Angelika Schmitt
Neeraj Upadhyay
Jason Anthony Martin
Sandra Rojas Vega
Heiko Klaus Strüder
Henning Boecker
Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity Increase
Neural Plasticity
title Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity Increase
title_full Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity Increase
title_fullStr Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity Increase
title_full_unstemmed Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity Increase
title_short Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity Increase
title_sort affective modulation after high intensity exercise is associated with prolonged amygdalar insular functional connectivity increase
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7905387
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AT sandrarojasvega affectivemodulationafterhighintensityexerciseisassociatedwithprolongedamygdalarinsularfunctionalconnectivityincrease
AT heikoklausstruder affectivemodulationafterhighintensityexerciseisassociatedwithprolongedamygdalarinsularfunctionalconnectivityincrease
AT henningboecker affectivemodulationafterhighintensityexerciseisassociatedwithprolongedamygdalarinsularfunctionalconnectivityincrease