Physical Activity In Brain Health Research Articles

Physical Activity Rewires the Human Brain against Neurodegeneration.

Physical activity may offset cognitive decline and dementia, but the molecular mechanisms by which it promotes neuroprotection remain elusive. In the absence of disease-modifying therapies, understanding the molecular effects of physical activity in the brain may be useful for identifying novel targets for disease management. Here we employed several bioinformatic methods to dissect the molecular underpinnings of physical activity in brain health. Network analysis identified ‘switch genes’ associated with drastic hippocampal transcriptional changes in aged cognitively intact individuals. Switch genes are key genes associated with dramatic transcriptional changes and thus may play a fundamental role in disease pathogenesis. Switch genes are associated with protein processing pathways and the metabolic control of glucose, lipids, and fatty acids. Correlation analysis showed that transcriptional patterns associated with physical activity significantly overlapped and negatively correlated with those of neurodegenerative diseases. Functional analysis revealed that physical activity might confer neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s (AD), Parkinson’s (PD), and Huntington’s (HD) diseases via the upregulation of synaptic signaling pathways. In contrast, in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) its effects are mediated by restoring mitochondrial function and energy precursors. Additionally, physical activity is associated with the downregulation of genes involved in inflammation in AD, neurogenesis in FTD, regulation of growth and transcriptional repression in PD, and glial cell differentiation in HD. Collectively, these findings suggest that physical activity directs transcriptional changes in the brain through different pathways across the broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. These results provide new evidence on the unique and shared mechanisms between physical activity and neurodegenerative diseases.

Assessment of Leisure Time Physical Activity and Brain Health in a Multiethnic Cohort of Older Adults

Results from longitudinal studies suggest that regular leisure time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with reduced risk of dementia or Alzheimer disease. Data on the association between LTPA and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures remain scarce and inconsistent. To examine the association of LTPA and MRI-assessed brain aging measures in a multiethnic elderly population. This cross-sectional study included 1443 older (≥65 years) adults without dementia who were participants of the Washington/Hamilton Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project study. LTPA, from self-reported questionnaire, was calculated as metabolic equivalent of energy expenditure. Both moderate to vigorous LTPA, assessed as meeting Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (≥150 minutes/week) or not, and light-intensity LTPA were also examined. LTPA. Primary outcomes included total brain volume (TBV), cortical thickness, and white matter hyperintensity volume, all derived from MRI scans with established methods and adjusted for intracranial volume when necessary. We examined the association of LTPA with these imaging markers using regression models adjusted for demographic, clinical, and vascular risk factors. The 1443 participants of the study had a mean (SD) age of 77.2 (6.4) years; 921 (63.8%) were women; 27.0%, 34.4%, and 36.3% were non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic African American, and Hispanic individuals, respectively; and 27.3% carried the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele. Compared with the LTPA of nonactive older adults, those with the most LTPA had larger (in cm3) TBV (β [SE], 13.17 [4.42] cm3; P = .003; P for trend = .006) and greater cortical thickness (β [SE], 0.016 [0.008] mm; P = .05; P for trend = .03). The effect size comparing the highest LTPA level with the nonactive group was equivalent to approximately 3 to 4 years of aging (β for 1 year older, -3.06 and -0.005 for TBV and cortical thickness, respectively). A dose-response association was found and even the lowest LTPA level had benefits (eg, TBV: β [SE], 9.03 [4.26] cm3; P = .03) compared with the nonactive group. Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (TBV: β [SE], 18.82 [5.14] cm3; P < .001) and light-intensity LTPA (TBV: β [SE], 9.26 [4.29] cm3; P = .03) were also associated with larger brain measures. The association between LTPA and TBV was moderated by race/ethnicity, sex, and APOE status, but generally existed in all subgroups. The results remained similar after excluding participants with mild cognitive impairment. In this study, more physical activity was associated with larger brain volume in older adults. Longitudinal studies are warranted to explore the potential role of physical activity in brain health among older individuals.

From Antarctica to Alzheimers – Exercise helps to prevent cognitive decline

Regular physical exercise has been proven to counteract physiological deconditioning caused by a sedentary lifestyle. More recently, human and animal studies have demonstrated that regular physical activity also targets brain function by increasing cognition and mood. In two studies, presented here, we aimed to show the long-term effect of exercise on mental health. Study 1: Eight male volunteers were isolated and confined during the winter period at the Antarctic Concordia Station. Every six weeks electroencephalographic measurements were recorded under rest, cognitive tests and a mood questionnaire were executed. Study 2: 75 previously sedentary patients with a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were randomized to one of three groups, either provided with high intensity exercise, moderate exercise or no exercise for 12 month. An influence of exercise on the progression of MCI was determined by a neuropsychological test battery (CogState). Study 1: Whereas brain activity showed a decline throughout the isolation period for both groups, regular active people were able to remain their mood state and cognitive performance. Study 2: Participants who showed an increase in physical fitness over the 12 month intervention period, also showed a significant increase in cognitive performance and life-quality. In both studies, we could show that a regular exercise program was able to improve mood, cognitive performance and life-quality. A transfer of results from space life science into everyday life, allows emphasizing the importance of regular physical activity for brain health and stressing its relevance for a healthy life-style.

Physical Activity Increases White Matter Microstructure in Children.

Children are becoming increasingly inactive, unfit, and overweight, yet there is relatively little causal evidence regarding the effects of physical activity on brain health during childhood. The present study examined the effects of an after-school physical activity program (FITKids2) on the microstructure of white matter tracts in 7- to 9-year-old children. We measured the microstructural properties of white matter via diffusion tensor imaging in 143 children before and after random assignment to either a 9-month after-school physical activity program (N = 76, mean age = 8.7 years) or a wait list control group (N = 67, mean age = 8.7 years). Our results demonstrate that children who participated in the physical activity program showed increased white matter microstructure in the genu of the corpus callosum, with no changes in white matter microstructure in the wait list control group which reflects typical development. Specifically, children in the physical activity program showed increases in fractional anisotropy (FA) and decreases in radial diffusivity (RD) in the genu from pre- to post-test, thereby suggesting more tightly bundled and structurally compact fibers (FA) and increased myelination (RD), with no changes in estimates of axonal fiber diameter (axial diffusivity, AD). The corpus callosum integrates cognitive, motor, and sensory information between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and the white matter tract plays a role in cognition and behavior. Our findings reinforce the importance of physical activity for brain health during child development.

Physical activity for brain health in older adults.

Physical activity is a promising strategy for dementia prevention and disease modification. Here, we provide a narrative review of the current evidence from epidemiological and intervention studies on the role of physical activity and exercise in promoting cognitive health in older adults both without and with cognitive impairment. We highlight some of the potential underlying mechanisms and discuss biological sex as a potential moderating factor. We conclude with limitations and future directions for this rapidly expanding line of research.

A Life-Long Approach to Physical Activity for Brain Health.

It is well established that engaging in lifelong Physical activity (PA) can help delay the onset of many chronic lifestyle related and non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Additionally, growing evidence also documents the importance of PA for brain health, with numerous studies indicating regular engagement in physical activities may be protective against cognitive decline and dementia in late life. Indeed, the link between PA and brain health may be different at each stage of life from childhood, mid-life and late life. Building on this emerging body of multidisciplinary research, this review aims to summarize the current body of evidence linking regular PA and brain health across the lifespan. Specifically, we will focus on the relationship between PA and brain health at three distinct stages of life: childhood and adolescence, mid-life, late life in cognitively healthy adults and later life in adults living with age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Physical activity program preferences and perspectives of older adults with and without cognitive impairment

There is increasing evidence to support the benefits of physical activity on cognition in older adults. This paper describes (i) the attitudes, beliefs and barriers towards physical activity of older adults with and without cognitive impairment and (ii) their opinion of the attributes of the ideal physical activity program. Thematic analysis of focus groups and individual interviews with 50 older adults with no cognitive impairment, subjective memory complaints, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease was performed. Consistent with previous research in cognitively intact older adults, most participants, irrespective of cognitive status, had a positive attitude towards physical activity and believed it was beneficial both generally and for cognition. There was a preference for physical activity programs to be suggested by advertising and general practitioners (GPs), undertaken in a group setting, and beliefs that they should be tailored to individual's needs and preferences, and should be affordable according to their income. Participants with cognitive impairment cited specific barriers including "memory" and "lack of companion" as well as preferring "accessible" settings and "simple/light/safe" activities. These findings provide useful data, particularly from participants with cognitive impairment, with whom there has been little research to date. This could contribute to efforts to translate the growing research evidence of the benefits of physical activity for brain health into effective community programs.