The Effects of Exercise on Working Memory in Adults

e-ISSN 2774-2318 p-ISSN 2407-0505 Berkala Ilmiah Kedokteran dan Kesehatan Literature Review Berkala Ilmiah Kedokteran dan Kesehatan Journal Page: https://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/APKKM The Effects of Exercise on Working Memory in Adults Annisa Yustin1, Laily Irfana2, Nina Devi Indrawati3, Era Catur Prasetya4, Muhammad Najib Mohamad Alwi5 1) Student of Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, East Jawa, Indonesia 2.3)Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Surabaya, East Jawa, Indonesia 4)Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Surabaya, East Jawa, Indonesia 5)Department of Psychiatry, Internasional Medical School, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Malaysia Article Info Article history: Abstract Background: Working memory (WM) is a crucial element of cogni- Received 09 February 2024 Revised 28 June 2024 Accepted 28 June 2024 Available online 28 August 2024 tive function. A reduction in WM capacity may adversely impact the quality of life and elevate the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases in the future. Presently, no established medication can effectively prevent cognitive decline. Keywords: Objective: Over the past decade, numerous research articles have investigated the consequences of exercise on cognitive function, mainly focusing on WM in adults. memory; exercise; health; sports cognitive; Correspondence: How to cite this article: Annisa Yustin, Laily Irfana, Nina Devi Indrawati, Era Catur Prasetya, Muhammad Najib Mohamad Alwi. The Effects of Exercise on Working Memory in Adults. MAGNA MEDIKA Berk Ilm Kedokt dan Kesehat. 2024; 11(2):227-239 Methods: Critical reading of several pieces of literature discussing exercise's effect on WM. A search for scientific articles was conducted using online databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar. Results: Exercise improves WM through neuroplasticity. Post-exercise improvement in WM can be seen in every age studied. Exercise can reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases by maintaining the integrity of the substantia alba. Conclusion: Exercise emerges as a cost-effective strategy accessible to many individuals. It can potentially prevent declines in cognitive function, positively impacting both present and future quality of life. 2024 MAGNA MEDIKA: Berkala Ilmiah Kedokteran dan Kesehatan with CC BY NC SA license A Yustin, L Irfana, ND Indrawati, EC Prasetya, MN Mohamad Alwi The Effects of Exercise on Working Memory in Adults 227 doi: 10.26714/magnamed.11.2.2024.227-239 11 (2) August 2024 e-ISSN 2774-2318 p-ISSN 2407-0505 Berkala Ilmiah Kedokteran dan Kesehatan INTRODUCTION Cognitive decline is a physiological consequence of normal aging, although it can progress to a pathological state.1 People who were physically inactive when they were younger are more likely to experience more significant cognitive decline in old age than people who exercised regularly when they were younger.2 An essential aspect of higher cognitive function is executive function, including working memory (WM).3 Working memory represents an advance over the conventional concept of short-term memory. The main difference between the two lies in the importance of working memory on information processing, an essential element of higher-order cognitive functions.1 The manipulation of information involves the ability to retain information simultaneously, enabling its subsequent manipulation for more intricate tasks such as arithmetic, decision-making, problem-solving, and the like.1,5 WM is directly correlated with cognitive ability and is frequently utilized as a predictor for assessing cognitive function in each individual.6,7 MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) in older adults typically manifests as impairment in short-term memory.8 In younger adults, impairment in the short term may be asso-ciated with severe depression or neurological disorders, affecting their overall quality of life.1 There is a need for low-cost strategies to improve neurocognitive function in healthy individuals and prepare them for healthy aging. These strategies are accessible to all without significant side effects. In recent decades, significant progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. A Yustin, L Irfana, ND Indrawati, EC Prasetya, MN Mohamad Alwi The Effects of Exercise on Working Memory in Adults However, currently, there are no effective treatments for these deeply distressing neurodegenerative diseases. In recent years, exercise has proven to be the most effective and costeffective treatment for preventing or slowing the progression of age-related neuro-degenerative diseases.9 Over the past five years, numerous peer-reviewed journal publications have examined the outcomes of exercise on cognitive function, with a particular focus on working memory. This literature review aims to inspect studies published in the past decade on the outcome of exercise on working memory. The purpose is to explore whether physical exercise can lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, with the expectation that this review will raise public awareness of the importance of incorporating exercise into one's lifestyle. METHODS Data Retrieval and Collection Procedures This literature review gathered information from studies relevant to the research problem through online databases. The articles obtained included original articles, research articles, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews, which were then filtered based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected articles were limited to those published within the last ten years. Inclusion criteria: adults (>18 years) who are healthy. Interventions involving physical exercise, studies covering topics related to WM and cognition. Exclusion criteria: adults diagnosed with cognitive disorders, interventions involving food or animals. For PICO analysis, the problem is adult, the indicator is exercise, a comparator does not exercise, and the outcome is working memory. The clinical question derived from the research problem is: "How 228 doi: 10.26714/magnamed.11.2.2024.227-239 11 (2) August 2024 e-ISSN 2774-2318 p-ISSN 2407-0505 Berkala Ilmiah Kedokteran dan Kesehatan does exercise influence working memory in adults?" Search algorithm Search for articles as references through PubMed and Google Scholar databases using keywords ((adult) AND (exercise)) AND ("Working Memory"). Journal language in English and journal publication's years range from 2013 to 2023. RESULTS The selected articles of 28 manuscripts from 18.159 searching manuscripts are then tabulated by displaying the essential points of each manuscript for discussion, as listed in Table 1. DISCUSSION The Outcome of Exercise on Working Memory in Adults The theory underlying the hypothesis that exercise can affect cognition was presented by Davey. He theorized that sports, as a stress (...truncated)