https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/842 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:45:12 GMT 2026-04-10T21:45:12Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/13110 Differential modulation of resting-state functional connectivity between amygdala and precuneus after acute physical exertion of varying intensity Lohaus, Marvin; Maurer, Angelika; Upadhyay, Neeraj; Daamen, Marcel; Bodensohn, Luisa; Werkhausen, Judith; Manunzio, Christian; Manunzio, Ursula; Radbruch, Alexander; Attenberger, Ulrike; Boecker, Henning <strong>Introduction:</strong> Physical activity influences psychological well-being. This study aimed to determine the impact of exercise intensity on psychological well-being and alterations in emotion-related brain functional connectivity (FC).<br /> <strong>Methods:</strong> Twenty young, healthy, trained athletes performed a low- and high-intensity interval exercise (LIIE and HIIE) as well as a control condition in a within-subject crossover design. Before and after each condition, Positive And Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) was assessed as well as resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Voxel-wise FC was examined for bilateral amygdala seed region to whole-brain and emotion-related anatomical regions (e.g., insula, temporal pole, precuneus). Data analyses were performed using linear mixed-effect models with fixed factors condition and time.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> The PANAS Positive Affect scale showed a significant increase after LIIE and HIIE and a significant reduction in Negative Affect after the control condition. In rs-fMRI, no significant condition-by-time interactions were observed between the amygdala and whole brain. Amygdala-precuneus FC analysis showed an interaction effect, suggesting reduced post-exercise anticorrelation after the control condition, but stable, or even slightly enhanced anticorrelation for the exercise conditions, especially HIIE.<br /> <strong>Discussion:</strong> In conclusion, both LIIE and HIIE had positive effects on mood and concomitant effects on amygdala-precuneus FC, particularly after HIIE. Although no significant correlations were found between amygdala-precuneus FC and PANAS, results should be discussed in the context of affective disorders in whom abnormal amygdala-precuneus FC has been observed. Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/13110 2024-04-04T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/13039 Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations associated with <strong>μ</strong>-opioid and dopamine receptor distributions in the central nervous system after high-intensity exercise bouts Boecker, Henning; Daamen, Marcel; Maurer, Angelika; Bodensohn, Luisa; Werkhausen, Judith; Lohaus, Marvin; Manunzio, Christian; Manunzio, Ursula; Radbruch, Alexander; Attenberger, Ulrike; Dukart, Juergen; Upadhyay, Neeraj <strong>Introduction:</strong> Dopaminergic, opiod and endocannabinoid neurotransmission are thought to play an important role in the neurobiology of acute exercise and, in particular, in mediating positive affective responses and reward processes. Recent evidence indicates that changes in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (zfALFF) in resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) may reflect changes in specific neurotransmitter systems as tested by means of spatial correlation analyses.<br /> <strong>Methods:</strong> Here, we investigated this relationship at different exercise intensities in twenty young healthy trained athletes performing low-intensity (LIIE), high-intensity (HIIE) interval exercises, and a control condition on three separate days. Positive And Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) scores and rs-fMRI were acquired before and after each of the three experimental conditions. Respective zfALFF changes were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs. We examined the spatial correspondence of changes in zfALFF before and after training with the available neurotransmitter maps across all voxels and additionally, hypothesis-driven, for neurotransmitter maps implicated in the neurobiology of exercise (dopaminergic, opiodic and endocannabinoid) in specific brain networks associated with “reward” and “emotion.”<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> Elevated PANAS Positive Affect was observed after LIIE and HIIE but not after the control condition. HIIE compared to the control condition resulted in differential zfALFF decreases in precuneus, temporo-occipital, midcingulate and frontal regions, thalamus, and cerebellum, whereas differential zfALFF increases were identified in hypothalamus, pituitary, and periaqueductal gray. The spatial alteration patterns in zfALFF during HIIE were positively associated with dopaminergic and <strong>μ</strong>-opioidergic receptor distributions within the ‘reward’ network.<br /> <strong>Discussion:</strong> These findings provide new insight into the neurobiology of exercise supporting the importance of reward-related neurotransmission at least during high-intensity physical activity. Thu, 22 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/13039 2024-02-22T00:00:00Z