Por Nils Henrik Pixa (Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences in the Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, University of Münster, Germany).
In my talk, I will first give a brief introduction to the non-invasive brain stimulation technique of tDCS, its underlying neurophysiological mechanism, and its neuromodulatory effects. Afterward, I will introduce the concept of the „acute physical exercise-brain relationship“ with a closer look at how acute exercise modulates our brain activity. Finally, while both – tDCS and acute exercise - have been revealed to facilitate neuroplasticity, I will present the idea of
combining both to increase efficacy by creating positive synergies and putative additive
effects. Herein I will show and discuss some data and results of my recent research project.
Short bio: Dr. Nils H. Pixa studied Sports Science (2007-2012) at the Institute of Sport Science of the University of Mainz in Germany, which he finished in 2012 with a diploma. Afterward, he followed his great research interest, especially in the area of experimental neuroscience and sports psychology. He started to work as a research assistant & doctoral student at the Institute of Sport Science in the Department of Sport Psychology still at the University of Mainz. During his PhD project, he focused on the overlapping areas of neuroscience, sport psychology, and movement science by investigating the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on bimanual motor skill learning. A couple of months before he finished his PhD in 2019, he switched the position and became a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Human Movement Science and Health in the Department of Sport Psychology at the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany. There, he continued his strongly neuroscience-oriented research using tDCS and EEG and expanded his research area to the acute effects of physical exercise on the brain and behavior. Since 2020 he is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences in the Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise at the University of Münster in Germany, where he is still strongly focusing on tDCS, EEG, motor learning, the exercise-brain-behavior relationship in healthy and clinical populations, and currently expanding to the research field of neurorehabilitation.
