Relationship Between The Difference In Oxygenated Hemoglobin Concentration Changes In The Left And Right Prefrontal Cortex And Cognitive Function During Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise

Previous studies have indicated that changes in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (O(2)Hb) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are associated with changes in cognitive function. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the effect of differences in O(2)Hb levels in the left and right PFC (L-PFC and R-PFC, respectively) on cognitive function after exercise. This study included 12 healthy male college students. The exercise regimen consisted of 4 min of warm-up and rest each, followed by 20 min of moderate-intensity exercise and 20 min of post-exercise rest. Participants underwent the 2-back cognitive test thrice (pre-exercise, post-exercise, and after the 20 min post-exercise rest period), and their reaction times were recorded. O(2)Hb levels in the PFC were monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. We analyzed the correlations between changes in post-exercise reaction times and differences in peak O(2)Hb levels (L-PFC minus R-PFC), area under the curve for O(2)Hb changes, and increases in the O(2)Hb slope during exercise. Peak O(2)Hb, area under the curve (AUC) for O(2)Hb change, and increase in the slope of O(2)Hb were significantly correlated with changes in reaction time. These findings provide insight into the mechanism by which O(2)Hb differences between the L-PFC and R-PFC affect cognitive function.