ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an integrative neuroscience perspective on how fitness and physical activity (PA) directly translate into changes in scholastic skills. It outlines some of the specific neurobiological changes associated with fitness and PA which result in structural and functional alterations in key cortical and subcortical areas subserving higher-cognition and academic skills. The chapter discusses the key functional changes in neurotransmission and how they relate to changes in brain potentials during cognitive and arithmetic task performance. Animal models and human studies demonstrate that fitness and regular PA are associated with the upregulation of essential growth factors including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-related growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Event-related potential (ERP) are voltage fluctuations measured at the scalp which are time-locked to a specific stimulus or response. Changes in ERP components' amplitude and latency have been used to provide a more integrative understanding of fitness/PA and academic skills.
