Studies conducting an acute bout of physical activity |
Ando et al. [120] | Healthy young adults n = 10 m/25.1 ± 3.4 | After cycling vs. prior cycling (normoxia): - ↑ oxyHb and TOI in rt. PFC during CT | rt. PFC |
Bediz et al. [117] | Healthy young adults HP n = 18 m/21.0 ± 2.6 LP n = 17 m/20.6 ± 2.1 | After cycling vs. prior cycling:- - ↑
oxyHb and total Hb in md. PFC during CT in both groups - - ↑
deoxyHb in md. PFC during CT in HP - - ↑
oxyHb and totHb in lt. and md. PFC during CT in HP - -
PP is correlated with oxyHb
| lt., rt. and md. PFC |
Byun et al. [8] | Healthy young adults n = 25 (12 f, 13 m)/20.6 ± 1.0 | After cycling vs. control condition (sitting):- - ↑
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC and lt. FPA during CT - -
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC and lt. FPA are associated with RT in CT
| lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Chang et al. [115] | Healthy young adults HC n = 9 f/21.8 ± 1.4 HIR n = 9 f/21.1 ± 1.6 MIC n = 9 f/20.4 ± 1.5 HIA n = 9 f/22.1 ± 1.4 | Post-test (neutral condition):- - ↓
TOI in lt. PFC (HIR vs. CON/MIC) Post-test (incongruent condition):- - ↓
TOI in lt. PFC (HIR vs. CON/MIC) - - ↓
TOI in rt. PFC (HIR vs. CON/MIC/HIA)
| lt. and rt. PFC |
Endo et al. [98] | Healthy young adults n = 13 (8 f, 5 m)/23.0 ± 1.0 | After cycling vs. prior cycling:- - ↑
oxyHb in DLPFC during CT (40% and 60% intensity)
After cycling vs. control condition (sitting):- - ↑
oxyHb in DLPFC during CT (60% intensity) (results for 15 min exercise condition/test administration 5 min after exercise cessation)
| lt. and/or rt. DLPFC |
Faulkner et al. [116] | Healthy young adults n = 17 m/24.6 ± 4.3 | After cycling vs. prior cylcing: - ↑ rSO2 in PFC during CT | lt. and rt. PFC |
Faulkner et al. [97] | Patients with TIA and HC TIA n = 11 (2 f, 9 m)/65.0 ± 10.0 HC n = 15 (2 f, 13 m)/62.0 ± 7.0 | After cycling vs. prior cycling:- - ↑
oxyHb, deoxyHb and totHb in PFC during CT (for test administration 1.5 min after exercise cessation)
| dominant side of PFC 1 |
Hyodo et al. [7] | Healthy older adults n = 16 (5 f, 28 m)/69.3 ± 3.5 | After cycling vs. control condition (sitting):- - ↑
oxyHb in rt. FPA during CT - -
oxyHb in rt. FPA is associated with RT in CT
| lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Hyodo et al. [77] | Healthy older adults n = 13 (6 f, 7 m)/69.7 ± 2.7 (f); 69.3 ± 2.8 (m) | Cycling vs. dancing: - no significant differences between timepoints or groups | lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Kujach et al. [109] | Healthy, sedentary young adults n = 25 (9 f, 16 m)/20.7 ± 1.9 (f); 21.1 ± 1.9 (m) | After cycling vs. prior cycling:- - ↑
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC post-exercise during CT - -
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC is associated with RT in CT
| lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Lambrick et al. [119] | Healthy children n = 20 (11 f, 9 m)/8.8 ± 0.8 | After running vs. prior running:- - ↑
oxyHb and totHb in PFC post-exercise during CT (at all three time points) - - ↑
oxyHb and totHb in PFC post-exercise during CT (1 min vs. 15 min and 30 min post-exercise) - -
total Hb is associated with Stroop completion time (for intermittent group)
| dominant side of PFC 1 |
Moriya et al. [99] | Patients suffering from stroke n = 11 (4 f, 7 m)/69.6 ± 12.0 | After cycling vs. prior cycling: - ↑ oxyHb in rt. PFC post-exercise during CT | rt. and lt. PFC |
Murata et al. [78] | Healthy young adults n = 15 (6 f, 9 m)/21.7 ± 2.4; 21.6 ± 3.0 (f); 21.8 ± 2.2 (m) | After cycling vs. prior cycling: - ↓ lt. DLPFC and SMA post-exercise during CT (Go-trials) | rt. and lt. DLPFC, SMA |
Ochi et al. [114] | Healthy young adults n = 15 (8 f, 7 m)/20.7 ± 2.1 (18-25) | After cycling (normobaric hypoxia) vs. control condition (sitting/normobaric hypoxia):- - ↓
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC post-exercise during CT - -
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC is associated with RT in CT
| lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Sudo et al. [108] | Healthy young adults Stretching group n = 8 m/23.9 ± 2.3 Control group n = 8 m/23.8 ± 2.1 | After stretching vs. prior stretching:- -
oxyHb, deoxyHb and TOI in lt. PFC no significant differences between timepoints or groups
| lt. PFC |
Sudo et al. [105] | Healthy young adults Cycling group n = 18 m/23.2 ± 2.1 Control group n = 14 m/22.3 ± 2.3 | After cycling vs. prior cycling:- -
oxyHb, deoxyHb, totHb and cerebral oxygenation in rt. PFC no differences during CT - -
Δcerebral oxygenation (TOI) is associated with Δ reaction time
| rt. PFC |
Tsuchiya et al. [113] | Healthy young adults n = 25 (19 f, 6 m)/19.88 ± 0.60 (18-21) | Housework activities vs. control condition:- - ↑
oxyHb (trend) in rt. VLPFC during CT (Stroop interference score between post- and pre-sessions)
| lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Tsujii et al. [100] | Healthy older adults n = 14 (9 f, 7 m)/65.9 ± 1.0 | After cycling vs. control condition (sitting): - ↑ oxyHb in lt. PFC during CT | rt. and lt. PFC |
Yamazaki et al. [111] | Healthy young adults n = 14 (6 f, 8 m)/22 ± 0.6 | After recumbent cycling vs. prior cycling: - oxyHb no difference in the ROI’s during CT Responders vs. Non-Responders 2: - ↑ (maximum peak) oxyHb in rt. VLPFC during exercise | lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Yanagisawa et al. [6] | Healthy young adults n = 20 (3 f, 17 m)/21.5 ± 4.8 | After cycling vs. control condition (sitting):- - ↑
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC post-exercise during CT - -
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC is associated with RT in CT
| lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Studies conducting long-term physical exercises |
Chen et al. [102] | Healthy young adults n = 42 (26 f, 16 m)/22.5 ± 2.0 | Post-test vs. pre-test: - ↑ oxyHb in lt. PFC in BMB (incongruent condition) | lt. and rt. PFC |
Coetsee et al. [101] | Healthy older adults HIIT n = 13 (10 f, 3 m)/64.5 ± 6.3 MCT n = 13 (10 f, 3m)/61.6 ± 5.8 ReT n = 22 (15 f, 7 m)/62.4 ± 5.1 CON n = 19 (11 f, 8 m)/62.5 ± 5.6 | Post-test vs. pre-test:- - ↑
oxyHb in lt. PFC in CON (naming condition) - - ↑
deoxyHb in lt. PFC in MCT and HIIT (naming and executive condition) - - ↓
THI in lt. PFC in MCT (naming and executive condition) - - ↓
oxyHb in lt. PFC in ReT (Stroop interference effect) - - ↓
THI in lt. PFC in ReT and MCT (Stroop interference effect)
| lt.and rt. PFC |
Wang et al. [79] | Healthy older adults n = 12 (8 f, 4 m)/64.25 ± 3.14 (60 - 68) | Post-test vs. pre-test (after Tai-Chi intervention): - no significant differences between timepoints | frontal cortex |
Xu et al. [96] | Obese young adults n = 31 (12 f, 19 m)/18.2 ± 3.2 | Participants with higher weight reduction vs. participants with lower weight reduction: - ↑ oxyHb in lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA during CT | lt. and rt. DLPFC, VLPFC; FPA |
Cross-sectional studies |
Albinet et al. [13] | Healthy older adults n = 40 f/60-77 (low-fit group n = 17/high-fit group n = 17) | High-fit group vs. low-fit group: - ↑ oxyHb in rt. DLPFC Low-fit group: - ↑ oxyHb in rt. DLPFC compared to lt. DLPFC Correlation between hemodynamic responses during CT and physical fitness:- -
relationship between aerobic fitness (assessed via VO2 max) and cognitive performance is partly mediated by slope coefficient of oxyHb in the rt. DLPFC (at 1.5 s pace condition)
| lt. and rt. DLPFC |
Cameron et al. [118] | Healthy young adults n = 52 f/20.7 ± 2.3 | Correlation between hemodynamic responses during CT and measures of physical activity or cognition:- -
higher chronic physical activity level is linked to higher oxyHb and superior cognitive performance - -
correlation between oxyHb and deoxyHb with RT (difficult condition)
| rt. PFC |
Dupuy et al. [11] | Healthy younger adults n = 22 f/24.6 ± 3.6 (19-34) Healthy older adults n = 36 f/62.9 ± 5.4 (55-72) | High-fit individuals vs. low-fit individuals:- - ↑
oxyHb in rt. inferior frontal gyrus during CT (naming and executive condition) - - ↑
totHb in rt. inferior frontal gyrus during CT (naming and executive condition)
| lt. and rt., ant. and post. DLPFC and VLPFC |
Fabiani et al. [112] | Healthy, high-fit older adults n = 20 (11 f, 9 m)/70.3 ± 4.2 Healthy, low-fit older adults n = 24 (13 f, 11 m)/72.2 ± 5.2 | High-fit older adults vs. low-fit older adults:- -
VO2 peak is correlated with oxyHb but not deoxyHb changes
| lt. and rt. occipital cortex |
Giles et al. [110] | Healthy young adults n = 74 (50 f, 24 m)/19.55 ± 0.27 | Correlation between hemodynamic responses during CT and habitual exercise level:- -
greater habitual exercise level is associated with↓ oxyHb and totHb during CT (negative and neutral pictures/during preparatory period)
| ant. PFC and DLPFC |
Hyodo et al. [12] | Healthy older adults n = 60 m/70.3 ± 3.2 | Correlation between hemodynamic responses during CT and physical fitness or cognition:- -
activation in lt. DLPFC is positively associated with VT - -
activation in lt. DLPFC is negatively associated with Stroop interference time
| lt. and rt. DLPFC |
Kato et al. [104] | Healthy young adults n = 23 (10 f, 13 m)/22.0 ± 2.2 | Correlation between hemodynamic responses during CT and measures of physical activity or sleep duration:- -
exercise amount is associated with the AUC during CT - -
exercise amount is correlated with reaction time on fNIRS - -
percentage of correct responses in CPT-IP are correlated with peak oxyHb - -
total sleep time is associated with the AUC during CT
| lt. and rt. frontal areas |
Makizako et al. [107] | Healthy older adults n = 20 (10 f, 10 m)/76.1 ± 6.7 (66-89) | Group with high physical activity level vs. group with low physical activity level: - ↑ oxyHb in lt. and rt. IFG during CT | lt. and rt. IFG |
Matsuda et al. [106] | Healthy young adults n = 40 (15 f, 25 m)/20.4 ± 1.1 | Group with high physical activity level vs. group with low physical activity level:- - ↑
oxyHb in lt. DLPFC during CT (Interference condition)
| lt. DLPFC |
Mücke et al. [103] | Healthy children n = 50 (24 f, 26 m)/10.6 ± 0.3 (low MVPA n = 20/high MVPA n = 30) | Group with low MVPA vs. group with high MVPA:- -
no significant differences in cortical activity between group with low MVPA and group with high MVPA
| lt. and rt. ant. PFC; lt. and rt. intermediate and md. frontal region |
Suhr and Chellenberg [10] | Healthy, older adults n = 22 (17 f, 5 m)/68.26 ± 8.39 (54-89) | Correlation between hemodynamic response during CT and measures of physical activity or cognition:- -
hours of physical activity are associated with rSO2 - -
memory performance is correlated with rSO2
| lt. and rt. DLPFC |