abstract and objectives

Fatigue, apathy, and anergia are symptoms that can appear in a variety of maladaptive and pathological behaviors that are part of syndromes such as depression or obesity. These symptoms are largely responsible for the inactivity and lack of goals that lead many individuals to choose a sedentary lifestyle, devoid of leisure activities, and with poor performance in the academic or work environment. However, our knowledge about the neural basis of these symptoms is scarce. The mesolimbic dopaminergic neural circuit has been implicated in the regulation of the activating and energizing components of motivated behaviors. This neural system controls the magnitude of behavioral activation and the mental effort that the individual is willing to exert to achieve relevant goals. The Nucleus Accumbens (NAcb) is an essential element of this neural circuit and is key to individual differences in such behaviors. Physical exercise has been shown to strengthen certain components of the dopaminergic system. On the other hand, it has also demonstrated positive effects on some mental disorders such as depression. The present research project proposes to analyze parameters in the dopaminergic neural systems and related structures that may underlie individual differences in effort expenditure and behavioral activation. Subsequently, the study aims to examine if there is a neuroprotective effect of exercise on these components of the dopaminergic system

OBJECTIVES