Boxing vs Brain: A Look at Prefrontal Cortex Activity

Ever wondered how boxing affects the brain? Scientists at Atatürk University decided to find out. They tested both amateur boxers and healthy guys around the same age. The boxers had been at it for about 7 years, while the others hadn't done any fighting sports. The researchers used a special test called the Stroop test and a machine called fNIRS to measure brain activity, specifically in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This is the part of the brain that helps with decision-making and problem-solving. When the boxers did the test, certain parts of their PFC got more active than in the healthy guys. These parts are called the right dlPFC/vlPFC during the easy part of the test, and the right dmPFC, left dmPFC/vmPFC/OFC during the hard part. Now, here's where it gets interesting. The boxers didn't score as high as the healthy guys on the test. This might mean that even though their brains were working harder, they weren't doing as well. Scientists think this could be because their brains weren't working as efficiently.