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. 2023 Jan 30:14:903072.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.903072. eCollection 2023.

Short-term isolation effects on the brain, cognitive performance, and sleep-The role of exercise

Timo Klein  1   2   3   4 , Leonard Braunsmann  1 , Jessica Koschate  5 , Uwe Hoffmann  3 , Tina Foitschik  1 , Stephanie Krieger  6 , Brian Crucian  7 , Stefan Schneider  8   9   10 , Vera Abeln  1   3
Affiliations

Short-term isolation effects on the brain, cognitive performance, and sleep-The role of exercise

Timo Klein et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

Isolation is stressful and negatively affects sleep and mood and might also affect the structure and function of the brain. Physical exercise improves brain function. We investigated the influence of physical exercise during isolation on sleep, affect, and neurobehavioral function. N = 16 were isolated for 30 days with daily exercise routines (ISO100) and n = 16 isolated for 45 days with every second day exercise (ISO50). N = 27 were non-isolated controls who either exercised on a daily basis (CTRLEx) or refused exercise (CTRLNonEx) for 30 days. At the beginning and the end of each intervention, intravenous morning cortisol, melatonin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and IGF-1, positive and negative affect scales, electroencephalography, cognitive function, and sleep patterns (actigraphy) were assessed. High levels of cortisol were observed for the isolated groups (p < .05) without negative effects on the brain, cognitive function, sleep, and mood after 4 to 6 weeks of isolation, where physical exercise was performed regularly. An increase in cortisol and impairments of sleep quality, mood, cognitive function, and neurotrophic factors (p < .05) were observed after 4 weeks of absence of physical exercise in the CTRLNonEx group. These findings raise the assumption that regular physical exercise routines are a key component during isolation to maintain brain health and function.

Keywords: cognition; confinement; cortisol; mental health; neurotrophic factors; physical activity; space flight; stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer AM declared a shared affiliation with the author SK to the handling editor at the time of review.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Absolute levels of intravenous cortisol during the different interventions. p-values represent ANOVA results. Data are displayed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Filled circles display individual data points. * indicates a significant difference between the CTRLNonEx group and the other groups (p < .05).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Responses of sleep efficiency during the different interventions. p-values represent ANOVA results. Data are displayed as mean ± SD. Filled circles display individual data points. * indicates a significant difference between CTRLNonEx and the other groups (p < .05); † indicates the significant difference to T1 (p < .05).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Responses of general negative affect (GNA) and general positive affect (GPA) from T1 relative to T2 during the different interventions. p-values represent ANOVA results. Data are the relative change from T1 to T2 as mean ± SD. Open and filled circles display individual data points. Symbols are used to show significant effects between groups. * indicates a significant difference between the CTRLNonEx group and the other groups (p < .05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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