Exercising Control Over Memory Consolidation

Edwin M Robertson; Adam Takacs

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2017.03.001

Exercising Control Over Memory Consolidation

Trends Cogn Sci. 2017 May;21(5):310-312. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.03.001. Epub 2017 Mar 28.

Authors

Edwin M Robertson¹, Adam Takacs²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. Electronic address: edwin.robertson@glasgow.ac.uk.
² Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK; Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.

PMID: 28363680
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.03.001

Abstract

Exercise can improve human cognition. A mechanistic connection between exercise and cognition has been revealed in several recent studies. Exercise increases cortical excitability and this in turn leads to enhanced memory consolidation. Together these studies dovetail with our growing understanding of memory consolidation and how it is regulated through changes in motor cortical excitability.

Keywords: consolidation; cortical excitability; exercise; motor skill; offline processing.

MeSH terms

Cognition / physiology*
Exercise*
Humans
Memory / physiology*
Memory Consolidation*
Motor Skills