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PHYSICAL EXERCISE MITIGATES AGE-RELATED SPATIAL MEMORY DECLINE: ERP EVIDENCE FROM ENCODING TO RETRIEVAL
Joaquín Castillo Escamillaand 3 co-authors
University of Almería
FENS Forum 2026 (2026)
Barcelona, Spain
Board PS04-08PM-575
Presentation
Date TBA
Board: PS04-08PM-575
Event Information
Poster Board
PS04-08PM-575
Poster
View posterAbstract
Aging is associated with a decline in spatial working memory and parietal efficiency. While physical exercise is a known protective factor, its specific impact on the neural dynamics of spatial processing remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, 64-channel ERPs were recorded in 4 groups: Young Active, Young Sedentary, Older Active, and Older Sedentary. An allocentric-based virtual navigation task (ASMRT-EEG) was used with two conditions: Position (experimental condition) and Color (control condition). For ERP analysis, 15 representative electrodes were clustered into five regions across the rostro-caudal axis (Frontal, Frontocentral, Central, Centroparietal, and Parietal) during encoding, maintenance, and retrieval phases. In the Color condition, results showed a main effect of Age across all phases, with minimal modulation by exercise in the elderly. However, in the Position condition, we observed that physical exercise modulated neural activity in older adults across the different task stages. During encoding and maintenance, older active participants exhibited significantly higher amplitudes in centroparietal and parietal regions compared to older sedentary adults. Crucially, during the retrieval phase, the neural response of older active participants showed a trend towards the levels observed in young individuals, suggesting a 'rescue effect' of physical activity that partially mitigates age-related differences in spatial recognition processes. Our findings indicate that physical exercise acts as a domain-specific neuroprotective factor. It specifically enhances neural resource recruitment and maintenance efficiency in spatial tasks, effectively narrowing the neurophysiological gap between healthy older adults and younger individuals.
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