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Published on: September 1, 2011
Acoustic startle eyeblink response after acute exercise.
J G Tieman1, L J Peacock, K J Cureton
1Department of Exercise Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-6554, USA.
The International Journal of Neuroscience
|March 27, 2001
Summary
Acute physical exertion does not alter the acoustic startle eyeblink response (ASER) in healthy young men. This finding suggests exercise does not confound baseline ASER measurements in this population.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- The acoustic startle eyeblink response (ASER) is a validated measure of central nervous system activity related to emotional processing.
- While ASER is sensitive to emotional arousal, the impact of acute physical exertion on baseline ASER remains uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of acute physical exertion on ASER amplitude and latency.
- To determine if exercise intensity influences baseline ASER.
Main Methods:
- 26 healthy young men underwent 20 minutes of cycling at light (40% VO2peak) and hard (75% VO2peak) intensities, and 20 minutes of quiet rest.
- ASER amplitude and latency were measured and analyzed using mixed model ANCOVA, controlling for baseline scores.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant effects of acute exercise (light or hard intensity) on ASER amplitude or latency were observed.
- These results held true for both sedentary and habitually active participants.
Conclusions:
- Acute physical exertion does not appear to alter baseline acoustic startle eyeblink responses in healthy young men.
- Researchers can likely measure ASER in this population without concern for confounding effects from recent physical activity.
