Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryPeer-reviewed

Human dopaminergic system in the exercise-cognition link

Meijun Hou, Fabian Herold, Zhihao Zhang, Soichi Ando, Boris Cheval, Sebastian Ludyga, Kirk I. Erickson, Charles H. Hillman, Qian Yu, Teresa Liu‐Ambrose, Jin Kuang, Arthur F. Kramer, Yanxia Chen, Joseph T. Costello, Chong Chen, Olivier Dupuy, Dominika M. Pindus, Terry McMorris, Lars Jonasson, Liye Zou

Trends in Molecular Medicine · 2024

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Summary

This 2024 review, authored by a large international consortium, synthesises evidence on the dopaminergic mechanisms underlying the exercise-cognition link in humans. The paper appears to argue that dopamine system function—including receptor sensitivity and transporter dynamics—represents a plausible biological pathway through which acute and chronic exercise improves cognitive outcomes. The work integrates neuroscientific and exercise physiology literature to propose dopamine as a central molecular mechanism.

UK applicability

Findings on dopamine's role in exercise-cognition relationships have potential relevance to UK public health policy regarding physical activity recommendations and cognitive health across the lifespan. However, the review's focus on neurobiological mechanisms rather than dietary or agricultural factors limits direct application to farming systems or food-related interventions.

Key measures

Dopamine receptor density, dopamine transporter availability, cognitive performance, executive function, physical activity protocols

Outcomes reported

The study examined the role of dopaminergic pathways in mediating cognitive benefits from physical exercise across human populations. The authors synthesised evidence on how dopamine signalling mechanisms may explain exercise-cognition relationships.

Theme
Nutrition & health
Subject
Other / interdisciplinary
Study type
Narrative Review
Study design
Narrative review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
International
System type
Human clinical
DOI
10.1016/j.molmed.2024.04.011
Catalogue ID
SNmois7rsf-263nmt

Topic tags

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