Objective: Prior research has shown beneficial effects of single bout exergaming on cognition, specifically executive function as measured by the Stroop task and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; Nath et al., 2023). Linking cognitive benefits to exercise may be possible by assessing biomarkers, and dried blood spot samples (DBSS) are less invasive than serum blood draws. This study aims to examine cognitive change and biomarkers via DBSS. Executive function involves decision making, problem solving, working memory, and inhibitory control. A recent study found a negative correlation between levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-ɑ) and scores on digits forward (Baek et al., 2022). TNF-ɑ is a pro-inflammatory cytokine and high levels are associated with pathologies like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Literature on TNF-ɑ and brain function shows that TNF-ɑ inhibition can reduce AD-related cognitive deficits in humans and rats (Ekert et al., 2018; Medeiros et al., 2007). We hypothesized that participants with lower levels of TNF-ɑ would show greater improvement on the digits forward task from pre- to post- intervention. Participants and Methods: Twenty-four college-aged and two older adult Parkinson's (PD)/community participants completed a neuropsychological battery, 20 minute pedal-n-play session, and brief post-testing. Executive function was assessed with electronic and paper versions of the Stroop, digit span forward and backward, MoCA, and online cognitive screeners (Boston Cognitive Assessment (BoCA) and TabCat). Consenting participants self-administered a finger prick and provided DBSS for TNF-ɑ bioassays. Results: At the time of writing, eleven participants had provided DBSS after completing the pedal-n-play protocol. Ten were college students and one was a community participant with PD. Conclusions: Preliminary work shows that it is possible for participants of college and older adult populations to self-collect DBSS. While initial bioassays of pilot samples found insignificant levels of TNF-ɑ, it is anticipated that adjusting the methods by decreasing sample dilution will yield better results to be reported at the time of presentation. We are hoping to find that TNF-ɑ levels moderate the effects of iPACES on executive function, expecting that lower levels will strengthen the beneficial impacts. This suggests key implications for healthcare research: TNF-ɑ reduction as preventative for for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD.
Primary Speaker
Faculty Department/Program
Faculty Division
Presentation Type
Do You Approve this Abstract?
Approved