Abstract
Experiments conducted in animals have repeatedly demonstrated the ability of exercise to enhance cognitive function. This study examines the effects of chronic swimming exercise on non-spatial memory in adult rats after 12 weeks of swimming exercise in object recognition and elevated T-maze tests. In the object recognition test, repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a group effect (F1,42 = 26,093; p < 0.001), control rats had lower discrimination ratios than the exercise group. However, the swimming exercise did not affect the performance of inhibitory avoidance and escapes, when memory was tested in elevated T-maze. Analysis of variance showed a significant reduction in inhibitory avoidance 24h after the first training (F1,42 = 14,552; p < 0.001). Results indicated that regular swimming exercise significantly increased non-spatial memory in object recognition behavior, but did not affect the performance of inhibitory avoidance and escape on elevated T-maze test in adult rats. These findings suggest that the perirhinal cortex plays a role in memory consolidation and storage in addition to that of the amygdala, which could be regarded as the center of a second memory system, separate from those governed by the perirhinal cortex.
Highlights
It has been generally accepted that exercise produces benefits for overall health
Time spent exploring the familiar objects was not affected by swimming exercise (F1,42 = 2.805; p > 0.05; Figure 1C)
The swimming exercise did not affect the performance of inhibitory avoidance, when memory was tested
Summary
It has been generally accepted that exercise produces benefits for overall health. only in recent years has there been an increasing interest in the scientific investigation of its effects on the brain and cognition. Exercise appears to benefit a range of cognitive abilities in animals and humans including spatial memory, working memory, executive control, and processing speed Both animal and human literature has established a number of changes in the nervous system that are correlated with exercise, some of which have been suggested to contribute to cognitive gain. These include changes in blood flow (HOLSCHNEIDER et al, 2007), concentrations of neurotransmitters (MEEUSEN; DE MEIRLEIR, 1995), growth factors (COTMAN et al, 2007), trophic factors (NEEPER et al, 1995), angiogenesis (SWAIN et al, 2003), gliogenesis (LI et al, 2005), Maringá, v. Any or all of these changes could contribute to enhanced performance in a given task
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