Under frameworks such as Alcohol Myopia Theory, a body of literature has developed demonstrating how alcohol intoxication can increase behavioral risk-taking, potentially via impaired inhibition of prepotent behavioral responses. A separate area of research has shown that responses to alcohol intoxication are not homogenous across the population. Whereas most previous research has considered alcohol responses in relation to risk for alcohol use disorders, the present investigation tested whether they may additionally contribute to the acute effects of alcohol on drinking-episode-specific cognitive and behavioral consequences. We recruited 82 moderate-to-heavy drinking emerging adults to each complete 2 research protocols: a placebo-controlled, within-subject, counterbalanced alcohol challenge in a simulated bar laboratory and a 21-day, event-level self-monitoring follow-up. Replicating previous research, the alcohol challenge increased heart rate and subjective stimulant-like and sedative-like responses and impaired psychomotor performance and response inhibition. Individual differences in subjective stimulation but not sedation were significantly associated with inhibitory impairment. In the event-level follow-up, we found little evidence that alcohol responses elevated risk for adverse behavioral outcomes, although evidence was stronger that alcohol responses were associated with alcohol-induced memory blackout. Whether and how alcohol responses relate to the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral consequences of alcohol intoxication may depend on a) the quality of the response (e.g., stimulation vs. sedation), b) the type of outcome (e.g., response inhibition vs. blackout vs. behavioral risk-taking), and c) whether perceptions of alcohol-induced effects may contribute to emerging adults' evaluations of risk (e.g., driving after drinking and riding with a drinking driver). / text

Evidence suggests that slow paced diaphragmatic breathing (DB) can significantly affect prefrontal cortex functions through increasing an individual’s physiological self-regulatory capacity. The current research demonstrates the effects of paced DB on inhibitory control, which is considered to be a reliable measure of behavioral self-regulation. Eighty healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions (20 males and females each). Participants were instructed on either DB at a pace of six-breaths per minute (BPM) or instructions on environmental awareness and asked to breathe at 12 BPM. Following training, all participants completed a computer-based task designed to examine inhibitory processes. Physiological recordings of heart rate (HR), BPM, and HRV were collected at baseline, during the breathing training, during the cued go/no-go task, and after the cued go/no-go task. The findings demonstrated that the DB condition had significantly lower BPM, HR, and higher HRV (p’s<0.05) during active training than the environmental awareness condition. Furthermore, the DB condition performed significantly better on the measure of inhibition than the environmental awareness condition (p<0.05). The use of DB as a reliable method to increase physiological self-regulatory capacity and improve behavioral self-regulation, measured as inhibitory control, should continue to be explored.

Sedentary behaviors, such as leisure time computer use and sedentary video games, are significant barriers to regular physical activity and contribute to high rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Sedentary screen time can adversely affect food intake and food selection. Active video games may be a promising way of increasing daily physical activity levels among adolescents. Active video games may help modulate response inhibition and food intake. PURPOSE: Compare the effects of an acute bout of active and sedentary video gaming on N2 amplitudes (while viewing high calorie and low calorie images), Stroop Color Word Test (Stroop test) performance and ad libitum eating. METHODS: We used a within-subjects randomized crossover design with counterbalanced treatment conditions was used among 65 participants (31 girls, 34 boys; age = 13.5 ± 1.1 year; height = 161.4 ± 10.2 cm; weight = 52.5 ± 12.3 kg; BMI = 19.9 ± 3.3 kg·m2). Participants completed 2 separate video gaming sessions, 7 days apart, while energy expenditure during sedentary and active video game play was measured using the K4b2 portable metabolic system. The K4b2 system provided metabolic equivalents (METs) which are used as a measure of energy cost of physical activity. After either 60 minutes of active or sedentary video game play, participants completed a go/no-go task while viewing high calorie and low calorie images while electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected. N2 event related potential (ERP) amplitudes were measured during the viewing task. Participants also completed a Stroop task to measure response inhibition. Finally, participants were given high calorie and low calorie snacks to consume ad libitum. We used a repeated measures ANOVA was used to measure main and interaction effects for N2 ERP amplitudes within subjects. RESULTS: Active video game play relative to sedentary video games significantly increased METs (F = 543.1, p ‰¤ 0.0001) from 1.7 ± 0.35 to 5.0 ± 1.2 METs. A significant gender-by-condition interaction (F = 7.03, p ‰¤ 0.009) was observed for energy expenditure with boys (5.4 ± 1.1 METs) expending more energy during the active video game than girls (4.5 ± 1.1 METs). No significant differences were observed for the N2 component (F = 0.50, p = 0.48) between video game conditions nor between genders (F = 1.85, p = 0.17). There were no significant differences (F = 3.10, p = 0.08) in the total number of calories consumed between the 2 video gaming conditions. Results from the Stroop task showed no significant differences for word naming (F = 0.45, p = 0.49), congruent condition (F = 0.43, p = 0.52) and incongruent condition (F = 0.14, p = 0.71) between the active and sedentary video games. CONCLUSION: Sixty minutes of active video gaming increases energy expenditure to a moderate intensity level but does not alter behavioral response or response inhibition to high calorie or low calorie foods.

Sedentary behaviors, such as leisure time computer use and sedentary video games, are significant barriers to regular physical activity and contribute to high rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Sedentary screen time can adversely affect food intake and food selection. Active video games may be a promising way of increasing daily physical activity levels among adolescents. Active video games may help modulate response inhibition and food intake. PURPOSE: Compare the effects of an acute bout of active and sedentary video gaming on N2 amplitudes (while viewing high calorie and low calorie images), Stroop Color Word Test (Stroop test) performance and ad libitum eating. METHODS: We used a within-subjects randomized crossover design with counterbalanced treatment conditions was used among 65 participants (31 girls, 34 boys; age = 13.5 ± 1.1 year; height = 161.4 ± 10.2 cm; weight = 52.5 ± 12.3 kg; BMI = 19.9 ± 3.3 kg·m2). Participants completed 2 separate video gaming sessions, 7 days apart, while energy expenditure during sedentary and active video game play was measured using the K4b2 portable metabolic system. The K4b2 system provided metabolic equivalents (METs) which are used as a measure of energy cost of physical activity. After either 60 minutes of active or sedentary video game play, participants completed a go/no-go task while viewing high calorie and low calorie images while electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected. N2 event related potential (ERP) amplitudes were measured during the viewing task. Participants also completed a Stroop task to measure response inhibition. Finally, participants were given high calorie and low calorie snacks to consume ad libitum. We used a repeated measures ANOVA was used to measure main and interaction effects for N2 ERP amplitudes within subjects. RESULTS: Active video game play relative to sedentary video games significantly increased METs (F = 543.1, p ≤ 0.0001) from 1.7 ± 0.35 to 5.0 ± 1.2 METs. A significant gender-by-condition interaction (F = 7.03, p ≤ 0.009) was observed for energy expenditure with boys (5.4 ± 1.1 METs) expending more energy during the active video game than girls (4.5 ± 1.1 METs). No significant differences were observed for the N2 component (F = 0.50, p = 0.48) between video game conditions nor between genders (F = 1.85, p = 0.17). There were no significant differences (F = 3.10, p = 0.08) in the total number of calories consumed between the 2 video gaming conditions. Results from the Stroop task showed no significant differences for word naming (F = 0.45, p = 0.49), congruent condition (F = 0.43, p = 0.52) and incongruent condition (F = 0.14, p = 0.71) between the active and sedentary video games. CONCLUSION: Sixty minutes of active video gaming increases energy expenditure to a moderate intensity level but does not alter behavioral response or response inhibition to high calorie or low calorie foods.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of after-school sedentary versus active play on activation in the reward and cognitive control regions of the brain to pictures of high- and low-calorie foods. METHODS: 32 children (12 girls, 20 boys; age 8.7 ± 0.5 years; height 137.9 ± 6.9 cm; weight 32.4 ± 6.2 kg) participated in a randomized crossover study with counterbalanced treatment conditions. Conditions took place on separate days after school and included three hours of active or sedentary play. After each condition, neural activation in reward and cognitive control regions of the brain were assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while participants completed a go/no-go task involving pictures of high- and low-calorie foods. General response inhibition was measured by the Stroop task. Hunger was measured upon arrival to the testing facility and just prior to fMRI scans. Mixed effects models were used to evaluate main and interaction effects. RESULTS: Significant stimulus by condition interactions were found in the right superior parietal cortex, right postcentral gyrus and accumbens area (p <<> 0.05). High- versus low-calorie pictures of food elicited significantly different activation bilaterally in the orbitofrontal cortex (p <<> 0.01). Stroop task performance diminished significantly following the sedentary condition compared to the active condition (F = 6.79, p <<> 0.01). Subjective feelings of hunger were not different between conditions at any point. CONCLUSION: Sedentary behavior significantly decreased response inhibition and brain activation to pictures of high-calorie foods in areas of the brain important to the modulation of food intake. Decreased attention, reward, and response inhibition, following sedentary behavior, may contribute to disinhibited eating that can lead to overweight and obesity.

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This study examined the effect of an 8-week, progressive exercise intervention on neural responses, specifically N2 amplitude as a measure of inhibitory control, to pictures of food. Healthy women ages 18-44 years were randomized to a morning (AM) exercise group or evening (PM) exercise group. The AM group did moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise on 4 days per week between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. while the PM group had the identical volume of exercise between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Neural responses, eating behaviors, cardiovascular fitness outcomes, and body weight/composition were measured at baseline and after the 8-week intervention. The N2 amplitude in response to pictures of high- and low-calorie foods was assessed using electroencephalography during a go/no-go task. Dietary restraint, emotional eating, and external eating were assessed using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. VO2peak, HRmax, and time to completion were measured during a maximal treadmill test. Body weight was measured on a digital scale, and body composition was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. There was not a significant task (go, no-go) × group (AM, PM) × period (baseline, 8 weeks) interaction (F = 0.18; p = 0.677), but there was a main effect of exercise over 8 weeks (F = 6.26; p = 0.017) with increased N2 amplitude following the intervention. There was not a significant interaction as a function of picture type (high-calorie, low-calorie), task, group, and period (F = 0.52; p = 0.478). Changes in body weight and neural outcomes were not significantly associated with changes in eating behaviors for either group (ps < 0.05). There was a significant group × period interaction for body weight (F = 4.90; p = 0.032). Body weight increased by 0.79 ± 1.16 kg in the AM group and decreased by 0.21 ± 1.46 kg in the PM group (effect size = 0.77; CI = 0.15-1.35). There was not a significant group × period interaction for body fat percentage, total body fat or fat-free mass (ps < 0.05). When examining the main effect of exercise on cardiovascular fitness outcomes, VO2peak was not different (F = 1.80; p = 0.187), time-to-completion on treadmill increased (F = 6.51; p = 0.014), and HRmax during the treadmill test was significantly lower (F = 5.49; p = 0.025). This study suggests that 8 weeks of exercise training may increase the inhibitory response to pictures of both high- and low-calorie foods. However, time of day of exercise did not influence this response. Eight weeks of exercise training did not change self-reported dietary restraint, external eating, or emotional eating, and there was no correlation between these eating behaviors and inhibitory control. However, evening exercise was more beneficial for body weight than morning exercise. Given the novelty of this study and its results, additional studies on the influence of time of day of exercise on weight management are needed.

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as an access channel by establishing reliable signal detection to verify the existence of signal differences associated with changes in activity. This thesis focused on using NIRS to measure brain activity from the prefrontal cortex during an auditory Go-No-Go task. A singular spectrum analysis change-point detection algorithm was applied to identify transition points where the NIRS signal properties varied from previous data points in the signal, indicating a change in brain activity. With this algorithm, latency values for change-points detected ranged from 6.44 s to 9.34 s. The averaged positive predictive values over all runs were modest (from 49.41% to 67.73%), with the corresponding negative predictive values being generally higher (48.66% to 78.80%). However, positive and negative predictive values up to 97.22% and 95.14%, respectively, were achieved for individual runs. No hemispheric differences were found.

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as an access channel by establishing reliable signal detection to verify the existence of signal differences associated with changes in activity. This thesis focused on using NIRS to measure brain activity from the prefrontal cortex during an auditory Go-No-Go task. A singular spectrum analysis change-point detection algorithm was applied to identify transition points where the NIRS signal properties varied from previous data points in the signal, indicating a change in brain activity. With this algorithm, latency values for change-points detected ranged from 6.44 s to 9.34 s. The averaged positive predictive values over all runs were modest (from 49.41% to 67.73%), with the corresponding negative predictive values being generally higher (48.66% to 78.80%). However, positive and negative predictive values up to 97.22% and 95.14%, respectively, were achieved for individual runs. No hemispheric differences were found.

No description available.