Background The potential for acute exercise to enhance attention has been discussed in the literature. However, the neural mechanisms by which acute exercise affects attention remain elusive. Method In this study, we first identified an optimized acute Tai Chi Chuan (ATCC) exercise protocol that enhances sustained attention performance and then aimed to determine the neural substrates of exercise-enhanced attention. Reaction time (RT) from the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) was used to evaluate sustained attention. In Experiment 1, improvements in RTs were compared among six different exercise protocols. In Experiment 2, the participants completed the PVT in an MRI scanner on both rest and exercise days. Results Experiment 1 showed that practicing TCC 3 times for a total of 20 minutes, followed by 10-minute rest periods, resulted in the largest improvements in RTs. Experiment 2 showed that ATCC enhanced sustained attention, as evidenced by shorter RTs, and resulted in greater cuneus/precuneus activation after exercise than in the rest condition. Exercise-induced changes in brain activities across a distributed network exhibited significant correlations with attention. Conclusion Therefore, this study indicates that ATCC effectively enhances sustained attention and underscores the key role of the cuneus/precuneus and frontoparietal-cerebellar regions in facilitating vigilance among young adults.

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Background: Overweight, obesity and falls are major public health problems and old people are the biggest group suffering falls. Methods: 92 females were divided into the overweight or obesity (O) group (68.85 ± 3.85) and regular-weight (R) group (67.90 ± 4.02). Lower extremity motor capacity and plantar pressure were compared between the two groups. The IRB approval number is 20190804. Results: (1) Functional Movement Screen and Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores in the O group were significantly lower than in the R group. The time to complete the Timed Up and Go test in the O group was significantly longer than in the R group. (2) Foot flat phase, double support distance, and left foot axis angle in the O group were significantly higher than in the R group. Distance and velocity, left-foot minimum subtalar joint angle and right-foot maximum subtalar joint angle in the O group were significantly shorter than in the R group. (3) Peak force, average force and pressure of metatarsal 1–4, mid-foot, heel medial and lateral, peak pressure of metatarsal l, midfoot, heel medial and lateral in the O group were significantly higher than in the R group. (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Overweight and obese elderly women have a lower sensorimotor function, flexibility and stability in functional movements, but higher loads on the foot.