Exercise For Cognitive Function Research Articles

Moving to Improve Mental Health - The Role of Exercise in Cognitive Function: A Narrative Review.

This review study investigates how exercise can enhance cognitive ability and mental wellness. Physical activity has been linked to a number of beneficial effects on cognitive function, including increased memory and executive function in adults, improved academic performance in children and adolescents, and potential advantages for people with cognitive impairments or neurodegenerative diseases. Increased cerebral blood flow, the synthesis of neurotrophic factors, and a decrease in oxidative stress and inflammation are the processes driving these effects. Studies have shown that exercise has mood-regulating benefits, with symptoms of anxiety and sadness lessening as a result. These mood-enhancing effects are a result of the endocannabinoid system being activated, endorphins being released, and changes in self-esteem and body image. Exercise therapies have also demonstrated the potential to encourage cognitive health as people age and lower the likelihood of cognitive decline. Exercise has been investigated as an adjuvant treatment for mental health illnesses, such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders, in addition to its preventive effects. Exercise can improve the effectiveness of treatment and general wellbeing when it is incorporated into comprehensive treatment strategies. To identify the ideal exercise parameters for certain outcomes and overcome barriers to exercise participation, more study is necessary. We can get closer to enhancing general wellbeing and quality of life by including exercise in measures for promoting mental health and cognitive health.

Can Exercise Ameliorate Aromatase Inhibitor-Induced Cognitive Decline in Breast Cancer Patients?

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have been commonly used as an effective adjuvant therapy in treatment of breast cancer, especially for menopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Due to the nature of aromatase, the key enzyme for endogenous estrogen synthesis, inhibitory of aromatase-induced side effects, such as cognitive impairment has been reported in both human and animal studies. While extensive evidence suggested that physical exercises can improve learning and memory activity and even prevent age-related cognitive decline, basic research revealed some common pathways between exercise and estrogen signaling that affected cognitive function. This review draws on clinical and basic studies to assess the potential impact of exercise in cognitive function from women treated with AIs for breast cancer and explore the potential mechanism and effects of exercise on estrogen-related cognition.

Impact of Sleepiness and Sleep Deficiency on Public Health—Utility of Biomarkers

Sleep disorders and sleep deficiency are important causes of adverse health effects and increased mortality in the United States and worldwide. Sleep deficiency can also result in myriad adverse behavioral consequences, including profound sleepiness, cognitive slowing, automatic behavior, attentional failures and performance degradation, errors, and accidents. It is important to recognize that sleepiness and sleep deficiency are not synonymous.

Carotid Artery Disease

Carotid arteries are the blood vessels that deliver blood through the neck to the brain. There is one carotid artery on each side of the neck, where its pulsation can be felt with a finger below the jaw bone. Blockages in the carotid artery decrease blood flow to the brain, causing a medical condition known as carotid artery disease. Interruptions in blood flow to the brain (commonly known as stroke) can cause permanent injury. This Cardiology Patient Page describes how blockages resulting from carotid artery disease cause stroke and what you and your doctor can do to prevent it. Stroke, or cerebrovascular accident, is most frequently caused by a sudden stoppage of blood flow to a portion of the brain. Every year in the United States, an estimated 750 000 people become victims of stroke. There are 2 common causes of stroke. First, an irregular heart rhythm, called atrial fibrillation, can cause stroke when small blood clots form as the heart is quivering instead of beating normally. Once a small blood clot is formed, it can be launched by the heart through the carotid arteries, block a blood vessel in the brain, and deprive that part of the brain of blood, resulting in a stroke. The other common cause of stroke is a blockage in the carotid arteries. The carotid arteries carry blood to the brain; like the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart, these arteries can become narrowed or blocked. The blockages are deposits of cholesterol, or atherosclerosis, that narrow the blood flow channel in the carotid arteries (Figure 1). If these cholesterol deposits or blockages break or rupture, small blood clots and cholesterol fragments break off from the plaque, enter the blood flow to the brain, and can get caught in a smaller blood vessel in …