Exercising to Stay Mentally Fit

Authors

Tyler Hammond, Brigham Young University
Dr. Jerffrey Edwards, Brigham Young University

Keywords

exercise, mentally fit, stress, learning and memory, long-term potentiation

College

Life Sciences

Department

Physiology and Developmental Biology

Abstract

Both exercise and stress have an impact on learning and memory. Exercise appears to have positive effects on learning and memory while stress appears to have negative effects on learning and memory. Previous work in our lab has demonstrated that exercise enhances long-term potentiation mediated by electrical stimulus in the hippocampus and that stress decreases long-term potentiation mediated by electrical stimulus in the hippocampus. Long-term potentiation is a measure of the strengthening of the synapses following an electrical stimulus intended to model learning and memory. The hippocampus is the area of the brain commonly deemed responsible for long-term declarative memories.

Recommended Citation

Hammond, Tyler and Edwards, Dr. Jerffrey (2016) "Exercising to Stay Mentally Fit," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2016: Iss. 1, Article 187.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2016/iss1/187