ABSTRACT
The catecholamines hypothesis, as an explanation of the underlying processes that affect cognition, was first posited by Cooper and later added to by Chmura, Nazar, and Kaciuba-Uścilko. In recent articles, the author and his colleagues have drawn on animal studies to develop the hypothesis further and provide some explanation of the probable mechanisms underlying most of the changes found in the acute exercise–cognition empirical literature. This chapter outlines how the hypothesis has been developed since Cooper and, more importantly, to show how the developments have implications for learning and memory, and how they can guide the practical utilization of physical activity to aid academic achievement. The stimulation of the locus coeruleus, via the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), and the subsequent activation of the dorsal bundle of the noradrenergic pathway is key to acute exercise–cognition interaction, as is the resulting activation of the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic pathway.
