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Pregnancy and cognition: deficits in inhibition are unrelated to changes in fitness
Elise L LeMoyne1, Daniel Curnier, Dave Ellemberg
1a Department of Kinesiology , University of Montreal , Montreal , QC , Canada.
This study investigated the relationship between changes in fitness and cognition that take place during pregnancy and the possibility that diminished fitness could be responsible for pregnancy-related cognitive deficits. Fifty-two pregnant women were compared to 15 nonpregnant controls on the Eriksen flanker task as well as a fitness test, both performed in a real-life setting to avoid laboratory-related biases. Results show diminished inhibition in the third trimester unrelated to fitness level. This is the first study to report the impact of pregnancy on inhibitory control.
This study investigated the relationship between changes in fitness and cognition that take place during pregnancy and the possibility that diminished fitness could be responsible for pregnancy-related cognitive deficits. Fifty-two pregnant women were compared to 15 nonpregnant controls on the Eriksen flanker task as well as a fitness test, both performed in a real-life setting to avoid laboratory-related biases. Results show diminished inhibition in the third trimester unrelated to fitness level. This is the first study to report the impact of pregnancy on inhibitory control.
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