Possible role of exercise therapy on depression: Effector neurotransmitters as key players

Alizadeh Pahlavani, Hamed

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114791

Cited by 30 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 142 publications

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“…Engaging in physical activity serves as a distraction, facilitating relaxation processes and reducing the impact of daily stress and anxiety ( Kandola and Stubbs, 2020 ). Furthermore, exercise promotes the synthesis of endorphins and serotonin, enhancing emotional regulation and mood ( Alizadeh Pahlavani, 2024 ). Furthermore, sports practice enhances the functioning of neural circuits, including those situated in prefrontal areas, which play a key role in inhibitory control ( Diamond, 2013 ; Guiney and Machado, 2013 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuropsychological analysis of anxiety and executive control of motor patterns in athletes and non-athletes

Caramés,

Reigal,

Morales-Sánchez

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionEven simple tapping tasks require cognitive processes. Some variants of the Finger Tapping Test (FTT) may reveal cognitive aspects associated with frontal processing, including executive functions such as inhibition, or emotional aspects such as anxiety. A context of particular interest for the application of cognitive-motor-anxiety interactions is sports. Although athletes generally exhibit better anxiety levels, they may experience heightened anxiety before important competitions. The problem lies in determining whether the application of anxiety control techniques can be useful in pre-competition situations, given the lack of quick and easy methods to detect if an athlete is experiencing anxiety at a particular moment.MethodsThis exploratory study evaluated anxiety using online versions of questionnaires (ISRA, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2, and STAI) and applied a variant of the FTT to 204 participants, both athletes and non-athletes. The scores were compared and correlated.ResultsAthletes exhibited lower general anxiety and greater cognitive resistance to interference (better cognitive inhibition). Non-athletes displayed a particular parameter in the FTT variant that differed from the one obtained by athletes and exhibited higher anxiety levels. In the athletes’ group only, anxiety was correlated with a specific parameter of the FTT task.DiscussionOur conclusion is that this parameter holds potential relevance in elite sports performance to detect if an athlete is experiencing anxiety. It could be of particular interest in psychological interventions in sports. Further investigation is warranted to fully explore this potential.

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