Key result
High-intensity exercise improved Stroop test reaction times (p<0.01), but combining it with high-decibel music significantly decreased the tissue oxygen index in the prefrontal cortex compared to exercise alone (p<0.05).
Why the study?
Does high-intensity exercise combined with high-decibel music affect cognitive function and prefrontal cortex blood flow in healthy female university students?
RCT (n=28)
Crossover
No
Does high-intensity exercise combined with high-decibel music affect cognitive function and prefrontal cortex blood flow in healthy female university students?
p-value: p=<0.05
High-decibel music during high-intensity exercise may negatively affect prefrontal cortex activation despite improvements in cognitive task performance.
High-decibel music may blunt prefrontal oxygenation during exercise despite cognitive gains; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
We studied the effects of high-intensity exercise (70-75% of VO2 max) combined with high-decibel music (100 dB) on cognitive function (measured by the Stroop test) and related blood flow changes to the prefrontal cortex (measured by Oxy-hemoglobin (Hb), Deoxy-Hb, tissue oxygen index (TOI), and normalized tissue hemoglobin index (nTHI)). The subjects of the study were 28 healthy female university students in their early 20s. Subjects were categorized into control group (CG), music group (MG), exercise group (Ex), and music and exercise group (MnEx). A crossover design was implemented so that all subjects participated in all test groups. We found no significant difference in reaction time between CG and MG for the neutral and incongruent tasks of Stroop test. However, there were significant improvements in the neutral and incongruent tasks for both the Ex (p < 0.01) and MnEx (p < 0.01) groups. Oxy-Hb measurements in the prefrontal cortex of the brain supported the Stroop test data. We found no difference between Ex and MnEx in the TOI; however, there was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in MnEx compared to Ex. In addition, Ex resulted in a significant increase (p < 0.05) in nTHI as compared to CG. These results indicate that high decibel music could negatively affect prefrontal cortex activation of the brain during exercise.
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Chang et al. (2013) conducted an RCT in Healthy (n=28). High-intensity exercise combined with high-decibel music vs. Rest (Control), Music only (100 dB), or Exercise only (70-75% VO2 max) was evaluated on Cognitive function (Stroop test reaction time) and prefrontal cortex blood flow (Tissue Oxygen Index) (p=<0.05). High-intensity exercise improved Stroop test reaction times (p<0.01), but combining it with high-decibel music significantly decreased the tissue oxygen index in the prefrontal cortex compared to exercise alone (p<0.05).
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