Walking improves brain connectivity, memory in older adults: Study

According to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Public Health, walking increases connections within and between three brain networks, one of which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease, adding to a growing body of evidence that exercise can boost brain health. brings benefits.

The study, which was published this month in the journal Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, looked at the brains and story recall abilities of older adults with normal brain function and those with mild cognitive impairment, who have a modest decline in mental abilities such as memory. Is. Reasoning, and judgment and a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

“Historically, the brain networks we studied in this research have shown mild cognitive impairment and decline over time in people with Alzheimer’s disease,” said J. Carson Smith, a kinesiology professor in the School of Public Health and the study’s principal investigator. “They become disconnected, and as a result, people lose the ability to think clearly and remember things. We are demonstrating that exercise training strengthens these connections.”

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The study builds on Smith’s previous research, which showed how walking can reduce cerebral blood flow and improve brain function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Thirty-three participants, who ranged in age from 71 to 85, were monitored on a treadmill four days a week for 12 weeks. Before and after this exercise, the researchers asked participants to read a short story and then repeat it aloud with as many details as possible.

The participants also underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) so researchers could measure changes in communication within and between three brain networks that control cognitive function:

The default mode network – activated when a person is not performing a specific task (see daydreaming about a grocery list) and is linked to the hippocampus – one of the first brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease. This is also where Alzheimer’s and amyloid plaques, a prime suspect for Alzheimer’s disease found around nerve cells, show up in tests.

Frontoparietal Network – Controls the decisions made when a person is completing a task. This includes memory.

Core network – monitors the outside world and stimuli and then decides what is worth paying attention to. It also allows switching between networks to optimize performance.

After 12 weeks of practice, the researchers repeated the tests and saw significant improvements in the participants’ story recall abilities.

“The stronger and more synchronized the brain activity was, the exercise exposure may actually spur the brain’s ability to change and adapt,” Smith said. “These results provide even more hope that exercise may be useful as a way to help people with mild cognitive impairment prevent or stabilize and perhaps, in the long term, delay their conversion to Alzheimer’s dementia.” Is.”