An Overview on Cognitive Function Enhancement through Physical Exercises.

A Comparison of Aerobic Exercise and Resistance Training in Patients With and Without Chronic Kidney Disease

Physical Activity and Diabetes.

The Clinical Utility of Neuromotor Exercise as Antihypertensive Lifestyle Therapy.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Resistance Training, Endurance Exercise, Tolerance, and Compliance

6. Fibromyalgia: The learning of an illness and its PNI correlates

Comparative effectiveness of three exercise types to treat clinical depression in older adults: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

95. Beta2-adrenergic receptor engagement on a B cell regulates the level of IgE via cleavage of CD23 by ADAM proteins

BackgroundWith the increase in life expectancy, age-related cognitive decline has become a prevalent concern. Physical activity (PA) is increasingly being recognized as a vital non-pharmacological strategy to counteract this decline. This review aimed to (i) critically evaluate and synthesize the impact of different PA and exercise modalities (aerobic, resistance, and concurrent training) on cognitive health and overall well-being in older adults, (ii) discuss the influence of exercise intensity on cognitive functions, and (iii) elucidate the potential mechanisms through which PA and exercise may enhance or mitigate cognitive performance among older adults.Main BodyAn exhaustive analysis of peer-reviewed studies pertaining to PA/exercise and cognitive health in older adults from January 1970 to February 2025 was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. There is compelling evidence that aerobic and resistance training (RT) improve cognitive function and mental health in older adults, with benefits influenced by the type and intensity of exercise. Specifically, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise appears to bolster memory, executive functions, and mood regulation, potentially through increased cerebral blood flow, neurogenesis, and production of brain-derived neurotrophic factors in the hippocampus. Moderate-to-high-intensity RT acutely enhances visuospatial processing and executive functions, with chronic training promoting neurogenesis, possibly by stimulating insulin-like growth factor-1 and augmenting blood flow to the prefrontal cortex. Findings related to the effects of concurrent training on cognitive function and mental health are heterogeneous, with some studies reporting no significant impact and others revealing substantial improvements. However, emerging evidence indicates that the combination of concurrent training and cognitive tasks (i.e., dual tasks) is particularly effective, often outperforming aerobic exercise alone.ConclusionsRegular aerobic and RT performance is beneficial for older adults to mitigate cognitive decline and enhance their overall well-being. Specifically, engaging in moderate-intensity aerobic exercises and moderate-to-high-intensity RT is safe and effective in improving cognitive function and mental health in this demographic. These exercises, which can be conveniently incorporated into daily routines, effectively enhance mental agility, memory, executive function, and mood. The findings related to concurrent training are mixed, with emerging evidence indicating the effectiveness of combined concurrent and cognitive tasks on cognitive health and well-being in older adults.Key Points- Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is associated with significant improvements in cognitive function, mood regulation, and overall well-being in older adults. These benefits are linked to structural and functional changes in the brain such as increased hippocampal volume and elevated levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.- Moderate-to-high-intensity resistance training, both in acute and chronic forms, enhances cognitive performance in older adults, particularly in executive functions and visuospatial processing. Cognitive benefits, including improvements in information-processing speed, attention, and memory, can be sustained through regular training.- The effects of concurrent resistance and aerobic training on cognitive function in older adults are mixed. However, combining concurrent training with cognitive tasks (i.e., dual-task training) is particularly effective and often outperforms aerobic exercise alone.- Cognitive and well-being improvements from aerobic and resistance training are mediated by mechanisms such as increased cerebral blood flow and oxygen delivery, enhanced neurogenesis, reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, and positive hormonal changes.- While the optimal exercise dosage for promoting cognitive health in older adults remains undetermined, empirical evidence indicates a positive correlation between increased exercise dosage and cognitive health improvements.

Decline in cognitive function leads to several diseases and impairments. Findings from literature explain that exercise training may reduce the negative effects and enhance cognition. The review aims to present aerobic and resistance exercise training programs with the most beneficial outcomes regarding enhancement of cognitive function and related diseases. Electronic literature of SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases in English language between 2003 and 2015 was used to search for cognitive function in relation to exercise training. A total of 99 abstracts were examined; 43 abstracts were excluded for using animal subjects, derivative data, and languages other than English. A total of 56 articles were fully read; 11 of those were excluded due to lack of evidence, to reach a narrowed outcome. Outcomes indicate that aerobic exercise has more benefits on cognitive function rather than resistance training (e.g. enhancing memory, learning, cognitive speed). On the other hand, combined resistance and aerobic training has better results than aerobic training alone. In addition, exercise training is not only beneficial on cognitive function, but also reduces and prevents related cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Cushing’s syndrome. Several studies have indicated that aerobic exercise training improves cognitive function as well as reduces related cognitive diseases. Further studies are necessary in order to attain sufficient evidence and neglect the conflict regarding the effect of resistance exercise training on cognitive function.

The purpose of this study was to test for reciprocal relations between physical self-concept (PSC) and participation in physical activity (PA). We hypothesized specific bidirectional relations between PSC dimensions (i.e., perceived endurance, sport competence, and strength and body attractiveness) and participation in corresponding types of PA (i.e., aerobic exercise, team or individual sports, and strength training). Data were gathered from a questionnaire administered to 386 college students on two occasions (3-month interval) to assess PSC and participation in PA. Structural equation modeling revealed significant paths between each PSC dimension and a corresponding type of PA. Students reported more frequent participation in a specific PA when their PSC concerning the activity was high. However, participation in a given PA did not predict subsequent PSC in the corresponding PA, suggesting unidirectional effects of previous PSC on subsequent participation in PA. These results suggest that strategies that contribute to reinforce PSC are primordial and should be targeted as key components for designing effective PA behavior change interventions among college students.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterised by functional disability and inflammation. This review explores the beneficial effects of exercise on function and cardiovascular disease risk in RA and explores the possibility that some of these beneficial effects may be moderated via exercise-induced improvements in body composition.

Exploring Avenues for Raising HDL Cholesterol

Fibromyalgia syndrome is defined as chronic widespread pain associated with sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and other somatic and psychological symptoms. Psychological symptoms can include mood disorders, anxiety and depression. Physical activity can be considered a safe non-pharmacological tool to alleviate fibromyalgia's physical and psychological symptoms. Physical activity that includes aerobic exercises such as swimming, walking, and dancing, combined with strength training, flexibility training and other mind-body exercises, have been proven to alleviate pain, and improve quality of sleep, cognitive functions, mood and health-related quality of life. As a general guideline, all physical activity protocols for fibromyalgia patients should be gradual and incremental, starting with low intensity and duration, and increased gradually to avoid injuries, fatigue and drop-outs. Additionally, physical activity should be personalized according to each patient's fitness level, pain levels, physical limitations, personal preferences, goals and socio-economical barriers. It is recommended that a physical activity protocol should lapse 8-12 weeks, in order to see improvement and to instill healthy lifestyle habits. It is recommended to exercise 2-3 times per week, for 40-50 minutes in each session. A physical activity protocol should combine aerobic exercises, strength training, flexibility and mind-body exercises, such as Yoga, Pilates and Tai-chi, that involve balance, flexibility and breathing techniques.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Haemodialysis (HD) patients frequently experience reduced physical function, which is exacerbated throughout dialysis vintage, therefore compromising their quality of life. Despite recent studies highlighting improvements in physical function regardless of exercise modality, well-designed randomized controlled trials with progressive resistance exercise training protocols are scarce. Thus, this study investigated the effects of 12 weeks of intradialytic progressive resistance exercise (RE) and aerobic exercise (AE) training on physical function in HD patients. METHOD Fifty-six adult HD patients from three NephroCare Portugal SA clinics were included in this study. Following a 6-week run-in control period, participants were randomly allocated into either a supervised intradialytic AE [(n = 29, male: 66%, age: 66 ± 16 years)] or RE [(n = 27, male: 67%, age: 63 ± 14 years)] training protocol, 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks. Intradialytic RE training consisted of 2 sets of 12 repetitions of 8 different exercises for upper and lower body using free-weight dumbbells and a newly designed weight machine, while intradialytic AE training was performed on a cycle ergometer at 50–70 rpm for 30 min at a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) 12–14 (Borg scale). Physical function was assessed by completing the Sit to Stand 60 (STS-60) test, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and isometric handgrip strength (HGS) on three occasions: before and after the 6-week run-in control, and after the 12-week exercise periods. The 6-week control period data were analyzed by paired sample t-tests or Wilcoxon rank test as this is prior to randomization. Training effects were examined using an ANOVA with mixed design (within- and between-subjects) for data with normal distribution or if data still with non-normal distribution after log transformation, Wilcoxon rank test (within subjects) and Mann–Whitney test (between subjects) were used with a significance value of P < 0.05. RESULTS There was no change in any variable when comparing before and after the 6-week control period (P > 0.05). AE and RE training significantly increased the number of repetitions performed on the STS-60 test compared to before the 12-week intervention, but had no effect on the SPPB scores. Additionally, despite no changes in the distance covered in ISWT in the AE group, AE training reduced the TUG time and an increase in HGS was observed. On the other hand, patients that performed RE training increased their walking distance in ISWT. However, no change in HGS was observed. Yet, and despite not impactful, a 0.1 s significant increase in the median time performed on the TUG test was also observed. Nevertheless, no changes between groups were observed after the 12-week exercise intervention (Table 1). CONCLUSION We conclude that 12 weeks of AE training seem to improve HGS, STS-60 and TUG test performance in HD patients, whereas progressive RE training only had an effect on the STS-60 and ISWT performance in these patients. This may suggest that HD patients can benefit from different exercise interventions which can improve their overall physical function. FUNDING Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/138 940/2018 and UID/04 045/2020). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to acknowledge the support of NephroCare Portugal, the University of Maia staff, MSc students and all study participants for their collaboration.

This review aimed to elucidate the mechanisms through which (i) physical activity (PA) enhances neuroplasticity and cognitive function in neurodegenerative disorders, and (ii) identify specific PA interventions for improving cognitive rehabilitation programs. We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO, covering publications from January 1990 to August 2024. The search strategy employed key terms related to neuroplasticity, physical exercise, cognitive function, neurodegenerative disorders, and personalized physical activity. Inclusion criteria included original research on the relationship between PA and neuroplasticity in neurodegenerative disorders, while exclusion criteria eliminated studies focusing solely on pharmacological interventions. The review identified multiple pathways through which PA may enhance neuroplasticity, including releasing neurotrophic factors, modulation of neuroinflammation, reduction of oxidative stress, and enhancement of synaptic connectivity and neurogenesis. Aerobic exercise was found to increase hippocampal volume by 1-2% and improve executive function scores by 5-10% in older adults. Resistance training enhanced cognitive control and memory performance by 12-18% in elderly individuals. Mind-body exercises, such as yoga and tai-chi, improved gray matter density in memory-related brain regions by 3-5% and enhanced emotional regulation scores by 15-20%. Dual-task training improved attention and processing speed by 8-14% in individuals with neurodegenerative disorders. We also discuss the potential role of AI-based exercise and AI cognitive training in preventing and rehabilitating neurodegenerative illnesses, highlighting innovative approaches to personalized interventions and improved patient outcomes. PA significantly enhances neuroplasticity and cognitive function in neurodegenerative disorders through various mechanisms. Aerobic exercise, resistance training, mind-body practices, and dual-task exercises each offer unique cognitive benefits. Implementing these activities in clinical settings can improve patient outcomes. Future research should focus on creating personalized interventions tailored to specific conditions, incorporating personalized physical exercise programs to optimize cognitive rehabilitation.