Physical activity has a wide range of positive neuroplastic effects on the brain’s anatomy, physiology, cognitive and affective functions. Studies in humans focusing on the acute effects of exercise show increased positive mood states and decreased negative mood states. Moreover, long-term adherence to physical activity regimens may be an effective intervention for a variety of chronic mood disorders including anxiety, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. Explanation for these broad mood boosting effects is thought to include increased release of mood-related neurotransmitters, such as the monoamines, neurotrophic factors, endorphins and enkephalins as well as adult hippocampal neurogenesis and a reduction in factors involved in stress regulation such as corticosterone. However, neither the specific effective dose of physical activity for immediate or long-term improvement of mental health or the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying those effects are fully understood.

Since the global pandemic of started, 4 in 10 people in the US report suffering some form of anxiety. The goal of this Research Topic is to explore remedies for this mental health crisis by delving into our current understanding of the contributions of physical activity to enhance mental health across age groups, species and clinical conditions as well as the mechanisms that underlie that mental-health boosting effect. Specifically, we are interested in understanding the effects of physical activity on mental health as well as their mechanism of action.
We welcome preclinical as well as clinical research articles in two broad areas.

Area 1: Studies examining the effects of physical activity on the range of mental health states described below:
• Positive affect
• Negative affect
• Fear
• Threat
• Stress
• Fear/threat conditioning
• Chronic mood disorders in general, including anxiety, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder

Area 2: Studies exploring the physiological, cellular, molecular or genetic mechanisms of these physical activity-based, mental health boosting effects.

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Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

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