The impact of acute high-intensity activity on perceptual decision-making dynamics

This study investigates the acute impact of high-intensity activity on perceptual decision-making, using computational modeling to assess changes during and after physical activity. Participants performed a two-alternative forced choice perceptual decision-making task at rest (pre- and post-exercise) and during six of eight 5-min cycling bouts (totaling 47 min) under dual-task condition, while maintaining an average intensity of 86 ± 7% of their maximum heart rate. Drift diffusion modeling was applied to accuracy and reaction time data to estimate changes in evidence accumulation (drift rate), decision threshold (boundary separation), and nondecision processes (t_er). Results revealed improved post-exercise performance, characterized by shorter nondecision time, potentially reflecting a transient improvement in motor or perceptual efficiency. During ongoing physical activity, results indicate that exercise is associated with a decrease in nondecision time and an increase in the efficiency of evidence accumulation, while response caution remains stable. These findings provide novel insights into how sustained high-intensity exercise modulates perceptual decision-making dynamics under physiological stress.