Effectiveness of a self-determination theory-based intervention for nursing home residents with depression: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective and rationale: The prevalence of depression among older adults residing in nursing homes has risen. While physical activity interventions based on the self-determination theory have been shown to reduce depressive symptoms among students and middle-aged adults, research in nursing home residents is scarce. This study aimed to investigate whether physical activity can alleviate depressive symptoms in nursing home residents over an extended period. Methods: Between September 2020 and August 2021, 46 nursing home residents in Shenyang were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 23) or an intervention group (n = 23). The control group followed a standard physical activity programme, whereas the intervention group underwent a programme based on self-determination theory. Both groups were monitored for 24 weeks post-intervention. Depression scores were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale, sociodemographic data collected via a self-designed questionnaire, cognitive function evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination, and weight and body fat measured using the Omron KARADA Scan Body Composition and Scale. Results: Depression scores were measured at five time points: baseline (T0), weeks 12 (T1), and 24 (T2) of the intervention, and weeks 12 (T3) and 24 (T4) during follow-up. Both groups exhibited a trend of decline by more than five points. The intervention group demonstrated more favourable pre-to-post changes in depression scores compared to the control group. Conclusions: A physical activity intervention based on self-determination conceptual framework has been proven to be effective for nursing home residents with depressive symptoms, also aiding in the maintenance of their physical activity levels. This study offers a theoretical foundation for the development of intervention programmes by researchers and identifies potential intervention strategies for caregivers in nursing homes. Trial Registration: The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200060598) (June 5, 2022).

Differences in brain activation during working memory tasks between badminton athletes and non-athletes: An fNIRS study.

BACKGROUND: Working memory refers to our ability to temporarily store and process information, and it is crucial for efficient cognition and motor control. In the context of badminton matches, athletes need to make quick decisions and reactions in rapidly changing situations. Athletes with strong working memory capacity can better process this information and translate it into actual motor performance. Although previous research has demonstrated that exercise can improve brain function and structure, it remains unclear how the brain functions of athletes engaged in long-term professional training are specifically involved in performing working memory tasks. METHOD: In this study, we assessed behavioral performance and cerebral oxygenation in the prefrontal lobe, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, with 22 athletes and 30 non-athletes. Each participant was evaluated while performing 1-back, 2-back, and 3-back tasks. The area under the curve (AUC) of HbO (oxyhemoglobin) is used as an indicator of cortical brain oxygenation. RESULTS: The behavioral performance results indicated no difference between badminton athletes and non-athletes in the n-back task. We observed significantly different activation in channels of left FPA, right DLPFC, and left VLPFC when performing 3-back tasks. Brain activation indicated that long-term training in badminton caused a better performance in high-load working memory tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term professional training in badminton primarily activates the left frontal-parietal attention network (left FPA), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (right DLPFC), and left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (left VLPFC) during working memory tasks.

Evaluating machine learning-enabled and multimodal data-driven exercise prescriptions for mental health: a randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: Mental illnesses represent a significant global health challenge, affecting millions with far-reaching social and economic impacts. Traditional exercise prescriptions for mental health often adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, which overlooks individual variations in mental and physical health. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) offer an opportunity to tailor these interventions more effectively. Objective: This study aims to develop and evaluate a multimodal data-driven AI system for personalized exercise prescriptions, targeting individuals with mental illnesses. By leveraging AI, the study seeks to overcome the limitations of conventional exercise regimens and improve adherence and mental health outcomes. Methods: The study is conducted in two phases. Initially, 1,000 participants will be recruited for AI model training and testing, with 800 forming the training set, augmented by 9,200 simulated samples generated by ChatGPT, and 200 as the testing set. Data annotation will be performed by experienced physicians from the Department of Mental Health at Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital. Subsequently, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 40 participants will be conducted to compare the AI-driven exercise prescriptions against standard care. Assessments will be scheduled at 6, 12, and 18 months to evaluate cognitive, physical, and psychological outcomes. Expected outcomes: The AI-driven system is expected to demonstrate greater effectiveness in improving mental health outcomes compared to standard exercise prescriptions. Personalized exercise regimens, informed by comprehensive data analysis, are anticipated to enhance participant adherence and overall mental well-being. These outcomes could signify a paradigm shift in exercise prescription for mental health, paving the way for more personalized and effective treatment modalities. Registration and ethical approval: This is approved by Human Experimental Ethics Inspection of Guangzhou Sport University, and the registration is under review by ChiCTR.

Effects of combined physical and cognitive training on executive function of adolescent shooting athletes: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Individual executive function improvement through physical and cognitive training is a research hotspot in physical education and cognitive science. However, few studies have evaluated whether combined physical and cognitive training (CPCT) has greater benefits for executive function performance and cerebral oxygenation in adolescent athletes than cognitive training alone. This study randomly assigned 33 adolescent shooting athletes to a CPCT (n â€‹= â€‹17) or computerized cognitive training (CCT, n â€‹= â€‹16) group and compared their executive function after six weeks of training. All subjects were assessed using the 2-back, task-switching, and Stroop tests before and after training. The prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) activation level was monitored while executing the three tasks using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Our results showed that the CPCT and CCT groups similarly improved their updating function as indicated by the 2-back task accuracy. The CPCT group significantly improved the switching function in the task-switching test accuracy, while the CCT group did not. However, both groups did not improve in behavioral performance as indicated by the inhibition function in the Stroop task. Cerebral oxygenation, indicated by the oxy-Hb activation level in the frontal pole area of the prefrontal lobe, significantly improved in the CPCT group during the three cognitive tasks, whereas the CCT group showed no change. These findings indicated that CPCT endowed greater advantages in task-switching in the behavioral performance of the executive function than CCT. Moreover, CPCT was superior to CCT in increasing task-efficient cerebral oxygenation during the activation of the prefrontal cortex in adolescent shooting athletes.

Family functioning and mobile phone addiction in university students: Mediating effect of loneliness and moderating effect of capacity to be alone.

Background: With the increasing popularity of smartphones, mobile phone addiction in university students has attracted widespread societal attention. Previous studies showed that family functioning and mobile phone addiction are related. However, the potential mechanisms involved in this relationship are unknown. This study examined the mediating effect of loneliness and the moderating effect of capacity to be alone on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction. Methods: A total of 1,580 university students were recruited. A cross-sectional study design and online questionnaire survey were employed to measure demographic variables, family functioning, loneliness, capacity to be alone, and mobile phone addiction in university students. Results: Family functioning is a significantly negative predictor of mobile phone addiction in university students, and loneliness has a mediating effect on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction. The capacity to be alone has moderating effects on the relationship between family functioning and loneliness and between family functioning and mobile phone addiction, and these correlation is stronger in university students with a low capacity to be alone. Conclusion: The moderated mediation model in this study improves understanding of the correlation between family functioning and mobile phone addiction in university students. Education professionals and parents should pay particular attention to family functioning in mobile phone addiction, particularly university students with low capacity to be alone.

Reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal activation in problematic smartphone users during the Stroop task: An fNIRS study.

Introduction: The widespread use of smartphones has triggered concern over problematic smartphone use (PSPU), as well as the need to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. However, the correlation between cortical activation and deficient inhibitory control in PSPU remains unclear. Methods: This study examined inhibitory control using the color-word matching Stroop task and its cortical-activation responses using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in college students with PSPU (n = 56) compared with a control group (n = 54). Results: At the behavioral level, Stroop interference, coupled with reaction time, was significantly greater in the PSPU group than in the control group. Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) signals associated with Stroop interference were significantly increased in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, left frontopolar area, and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Moreover, the PSPU group had lower Oxy-Hb signal changes associated with Stroop interference in the left-DLPFC, relative to controls. Discussion: These results provide first behavioral and neuroscientific evidence using event-related fNIRS method, to our knowledge, that college students with PSPU may have a deficit in inhibitory control associated with lower cortical activation in the left-DLPFC.

Effects of exercise and diet intervention on appetite-regulating hormones associated with miRNAs in obese children.

AIMS: This study investigated the effects of exercise and diet intervention on appetite-regulating hormones and subjective appetite changes in obese children and examined expressions of specific key microRNAs (miRNA, miR). METHODS: 16 obese children were included in a training program consisting of exercise and diet intervention for 6 weeks. Before and after the intervention, fasting blood was collected to determine appetite-regulating hormones (leptin, ghrelin, and orexin) and miRNA (miR-103a-3p and miR-200a-3p) levels; eating behavior of the children was reported using the Children Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). RESULTS: The level of orexin was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while ghrelin was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) after 6 weeks. The scores of food responsiveness (FR) and enjoyment of food (EF) of the CEBQ were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) after intervention. The changes of leptin and that of SR were significantly correlated (r = - 0.455, P < 0.05), and the correlation between the alterations of orexin and that of EF was moderate with significance (r = 0.625, P < 0.05). miR-103a-3p expression was not statistically changed, while miR-200a-3p was significantly inhibited after 6-week intervention (P < 0.05). The correlation between relative changes of miR-103a-3p and that of leptin and orexin were both with significant difference (r = 0.413, P < 0.05; r = 0.409, P < 0.05), whereas the alterations of miR-200a-3p were not correlative with hormones or appetite sensation. CONCLUSION: Exercise combined with diet intervention for 6 weeks was effective in regulating appetite sensations and hormones in obese children, and miR-103a-3p and miR-200a-3p might provide a foundation for target biomarkers of appetite trait in modulating the energy balance control by exercise and dietary intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case-control analytic study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03762629).

Relationship of Physical Activity With Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Chinese College Students During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 outbreak, many citizens were asked to stay at home in self-quarantine, which can pose a significant challenge with respect to remaining physically active and maintaining mental health. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of inadequate physical activity, anxiety, and depression and to explore the relationship of physical activity with anxiety and depression symptoms among Chinese college students during quarantine. METHOD: Using a web-based cross-sectional survey, we collected data from 1,396 Chinese college students. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), respectively. The data on physical activity were collected by types of physical activity and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). RESULTS: During the COVID-19 outbreak, about 52.3% of Chinese college students had inadequate physical activity. The rates of anxiety and depression symptoms were 31.0 and 41.8%, respectively. A high level of physical activity (ß = -0.121, P < 0.001) was significantly closely associated with low anxiety, while a moderate (ß = -0.095, P = 0.001), or high (ß = -0.179, P < 0.001) level of physical activity was significantly closely associated with reduced depression after adjusting confounding demographic factors. Moreover, specific types of physical activity, such as stretching and resistance training, were negatively correlated with both anxiety and depression; doing household chores was negatively correlated with depression. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight specific levels and types of home-based physical activities that need to be taken into consideration to protect the mental health of college students during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Physical Activity Among Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

In many countries, the physical activity level of nursing home residents is low, and the amount of time spent on such behavior has not been quantified in China. In the current study, pedometers were used to measure the physical activity levels of 349 nursing home residents. Daily steps for residents ranged from 5 to 16,773 steps per day, with a median of 1,608 steps per day. Three hundred (85.96%) residents were sedentary, 16 (4.6%) were low active, and 33 (9.5%) were physically active. Factors such as the living conditions of the nursing home, younger age, lower body mass index, higher educational level, marriage, higher pension, and greater family support all led to a higher physical activity level among residents. Regarding sedentary level, male residents were more active than female residents. The physical activity level of nursing home residents in China is lower than the current World Health Organization standard. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(10), 19-26.].

Effect of Acute Moderate-Intensity Exercise on the Mirror Neuron System: Role of Cardiovascular Fitness Level.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to determine whether cardiovascular fitness levels modulate the activation of the mirror neuron system (MNS) under table-setting tasks in non-exercise situation, to replicate the study that positive effect of acute moderate-intensity exercise on the MNS and investigate whether cardiovascular fitness levels modulates the effect of exercise on the activation of the MNS. METHODS: Thirty-six healthy college-aged participants completed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) and were categorized as high, moderate, or low cardiovascular fitness. Participants then performed table-setting tasks including an action execution task (EXEC) and action observation task (OBS) prior to (PRE) and after (POST) either a rest condition (CTRL) or a cycling exercise condition (EXP). The EXP condition consisted of a 5-min warm-up, 15-min moderate-intensity exercise (65% VO2 max), and 5-min cool-down. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed for Oxy-Hb and Deoxy-Hb between different cardiovascular fitness levels in the EXEC or OBS tasks in the non-exercise session. But there were significant improvements of oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and pre-motor area (PMC) regions under the OBS task following the acute moderate exercise. Particularly, the improvements (Post-Pre) of Δ Oxy-Hb were mainly observed in high and low fitness individuals. There was also a significant improvement of deoxygenated hemoglobin (Deoxy-Hb) in the IPL region under the OBS task. The following analysis indicated that exercise improved Δ Deoxy-Hb in high fitness individuals. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the activation of MNS was not modulated by the cardiovascular fitness levels in the non-exercise situation. We replicated the previous study that moderate exercise improved activation of MNS; we also provided the first empirical evidence that moderate-intensity exercise positively affects the MNS activation in college students of high and low cardiovascular fitness levels.

Reliability and Validity of the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 for Nursing Home Residents in China.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese-translated Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) for nursing home residents. METHODS: A convenience sample of 204 nursing home residents were used for measuring the instrument performances. Demographics form and BREQ-2 developed by Markland were applied. RESULTS: The translated BREQ-2 model was a good fit for the results of confirmatory factor analysis, χ2 was 276.75, comparative fit index was .94, standardized root mean square residual was .05, and root mean square error of approximation was .07. Results in the BREQ-2 indicated good consistency, Cronbach's α coefficient of BREQ-2 was .78, and each of the five subscales were ranged from .78 to .83. The test-retest was valued .84, and the five subscales ranged from .75 to .89, which supporting the stability of instrument. CONCLUSION: This study provided psychometric evidence for the application of BREQ-2 among nursing home residents in China.

Neural Efficiency and Acquired Motor Skills: An fMRI Study of Expert Athletes.

The neural efficiency hypothesis was investigated. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to study the differences in brain activity between athletes imagining performing different movements: basketball athletes imagined throwing and volleyball athletes imagined serving. These comparisons of brain activity among athletes imagining movements from their self-sport (e.g., a basketball throw in basketball athletes) versus movements from other sport (e.g., a volleyball serve in basketball athletes) revealed the neural energy consumption each task costs. The results showed better temporal congruence between motor execution and motor imagery and vividness of motor imagery, but lower levels of activation in the left putamen, inferior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area, postcentral gyrus, and the right insula when both groups of athletes imagined movements from their self-sport compared with when they imagined movements from the other-sport. Athletes were more effective in the representation of the motor sequences and the interoception of the motor sequences for their self-sport. The findings of present study suggest that elite athletes achieved superior behavioral performance with minimal neural energy consumption, thus confirming the neural efficiency hypotheses.

Effect of a Combined Exercise and Dietary Intervention on Self-Control in Obese Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether a combined exercise and dietary intervention improved cognitive and physical self-control and whether pre-to-post interventional changes in self-control were mediated by changes in body mass index (BMI) and maximal grip strength (MGS), in a sample of obese adolescents. METHODS: Forty-four obese adolescents were randomly assigned to a combined exercise and dietary program or to a waitlist control group; the data from 36 participants (n = 18 for each group) were analyzed. The combined exercise and dietary program was performed over 6 weeks and was supervised by qualified trainers in a closed boot camp. The exercise consisted primarily of typical aerobic training, sports, outdoor training, yoga, and resistance training. Participants were placed on moderate dietary restriction according to individual target body weight (30 kcal/kg × target weight). The primary outcomes of this study were metrics based on cognitive and physical self-control, assessed by the Stroop task and a handgrip task, respectively. Secondary outcomes included BMI and MGS. RESULTS: The combined exercise and dietary intervention significantly improved both cognitive and physical self-control. Similar positive effects were also found for reduced BMI and enhanced MGS. Correlation analyses showed that the reduced BMI and enhanced MGS were significantly closely associated with improved cognitive and physical self-control. The mediation analyses revealed that the pre-to-post intervention changes in BMI and MGS significantly mediated physical self-control, but did not mediate cognitive self-control. CONCLUSION: Our combined exercise and dietary intervention is an effective approach to improve multiple aspects of self-control, reduce BMI, and strengthen MGS among obese adolescents. These findings also suggest that reduced BMI and enhanced MGS mediate specific aspects of self-control.

The Positive Effect of Moderate-Intensity Exercise on the Mirror Neuron System: An fNIRS Study.

A growing number of studies have reported the beneficial effect of exercise on human social behavior. The mirror neuron system (MNS) plays a critical role in a variety of social behaviors from imitation to empathy. However, neuroimaging investigations into the effects of exercise on the MNS remain unexplored. To address this question, our study determined the effect of moderate-intensity exercise on the MNS using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Specifically, 23 right-handed young individuals were asked to perform a table-setting task that included action execution and action observation before and after a 25-min exercise session on a cycle ergometer at moderate intensity (65% VO2peak). The control condition was the same task performed without exercise. Cortical hemodynamic changes in the four primary brain regions of the MNS were monitored with fNIRS, using a modified probe configuration that covered all four MNS regions in the left hemisphere. We used a region of interest (ROI)-based group analysis to determine which regions were activated during action execution and action observation. Following a session of moderate-intensity exercise, we found a significant increase in activation in all four MNS regions, namely the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), premotor cortex (PMC), superior parietal lobule (SPL), and rostral inferior parietal lobule (IPL). This result indicated a positive effect of exercise on the MNS, specifically that moderate-intensity exercise could activate the MNS.

Sedentary Behavior and Problematic Smartphone Use in Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Self-Control.

This study investigated smartphone use characteristics including the purpose of smartphone use (i.e., leisure, learning, or work) and situational smartphone use (i.e., sitting, standing, or moving about) in Chinese adolescents. Moreover, it tested the moderating role of self-control in the link between sedentary behavior and problematic smartphone use. A total of 947 adolescents completed measures of the purpose of their smartphone use, situational smartphone use, sedentary behavior, self-control, time on smartphone, and smartphone addiction. Results showed that the majority of smartphone use was for leisure and learning, and 90.9% of adolescents reported typically sitting as they used the smartphone. Problematic smartphone use was positively correlated with sedentary behavior and negatively correlated with self-control. Moreover, the relationship between sedentary behavior and problematic smartphone use was moderated by self-control, in that the negative correlation was stronger for adolescents with low self-control and weaker for those with high self-control. These results contribute to the understanding of when sedentary behavior is associated with problematic smartphone use. Several limitations and implications are discussed in this study.