有氧运动改善负性情绪的脑成像追踪研究

Experiencing negative affect is relatively common in the general population, however, involvement in negative affect for a long period is likely to result in heightened stress responses and emotion disturbance, which could be characterized by the population with trait negative affect. This kind of population is at particularly high risk of developing emotion disorders. Therefore, it is of great implication to suggest an effective intervention to prevent such occurring. We aimed to investigate the neural correlates underlying the effect of aerobic exercise on negative affect based on brain connectivity perspective. Multi-model neuroimaging technology was adopted in this project to examine the modulation of prefrontal cortex in the effect of aerobic exercise on negative affect in the population with trait negative affect in this project. Notably, it would be addressed for the different neural circuits of prefrontal cortex influenced by acute exercise and chronic exercise. Moreover, the correlation between the alteration of structural and functional connectivity focused on prefrontal hub and the behavioral change of negative affect would be investigated here. These findings would provide evidence for putting forward “brain mechanism hypothesis” for the effect of exercise on emotion and offer a new window for the prevention and intervention of emotional disorders.

负性情绪类疾病影响心理健康，损害个体社会功能，已给家庭和社会带来沉重的医疗和经济负担。已往研究发现，具有负性情绪特质倾向是情绪障碍产生的最为危险的因素之一。因此，在该人群中寻找有效的干预方法，降低情绪疾病发病的可能性，是一项兼具理论和现实意义的研究课题。本项目总体围绕“有氧运动改善负性情绪的脑机制”这一科学问题，采用前瞻式追踪研究设计，以多模态磁共振成像的技术手段，在负性情绪特质倾向人群中展开研究，主要探察以前额叶为关键脑区和脑网络的大脑连接活动在有氧运动下的变化模式，分析前额叶及相关网络在短时与长时运动中调节负性情绪的差异性作用，并探索大脑连接变化与负性情绪变化之间的关联，阐明有氧锻炼调节负性情绪的脑机制，其结果将为锻炼效应的脑机制假说提供科学证据，同时，也为情绪疾病的有效治疗和干预策略提供新的思路 。

本项目总体围绕“有氧运动改善负性情绪的脑机制”这一科学问题，采用生理、生化、脑成像技术和心理行为学技术，在各类人群中展开研究，在行为学水平上，探察到以身心调节技术为运动形式的有氧运动能够显著改善个体的抑郁和焦虑水平；在大脑局部脑区，发现静息态下丘脑局部功能一致性出现显著降低，右侧楔前叶皮层厚度显著增加；在脑区连接上，发现前额叶-杏仁核之间的功能连接强度的变化能显著预测个体负性情绪的降低；在大尺度网络水平，额顶网络和默认网络是值得关注的重要大脑网络。这些结果将为锻炼效应的脑机制假说提供科学证据，同时，也为情绪疾病的有效治疗和干预策略提供新的思路 。