Researchers: Marcus Augusto-Oliveira, Gabriela P Arrifano, Caio G Leal-Nazaré, Letícia Santos-Sacramento, Amanda Lopes-Araújo, Luiz Fernando Freire Royes, Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez
Physical exercise is well known as a non-pharmacological and holistic therapy believed to prevent and mitigate numerous neurological conditions and alleviate ageing-related cognitive decline. To do so, exercise affects the central nervous system (CNS) at different levels. It changes brain physiology and structure, promoting cognitive improvements, which ultimately improves quality of life. Most of these effects are mediated by neurotrophins release, enhanced adult hippocampal neurogenesis, attenuation of neuroinflammation, modulation of cerebral blood flow, and structural reorganisation, besides to promote social interaction with beneficial cognitive outcomes. In this review, we discuss, based on experimental and human research, how exercise impacts the brain structure and function and how these changes contribute to cognitive improvements. Understanding the mechanisms by which exercise affects the brain is essential to understand the brain plasticity following exercise, guiding therapeutic approaches to improve the quality of life, especially in obesity, ageing, neurodegenerative disorders, and following traumatic brain injury.
References
- Neurogenic-dependent changes in hippocampal circuitry underlie the procognitive effect of exercise in aging mice.
- An exercise “sweet spot” reverses cognitive deficits of aging by growth-hormone-induced neurogenesis.
- Blood factors transfer beneficial effects of exercise on neurogenesis and cognition to the aged brain.
- Bridging animal and human models of exercise-induced brain plasticity.
- Physical exercise in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Cerebral Hemodynamic and Neurotrophic Factor Responses Are Dependent on the Type of Exercise.
- Aerobic Exercise Intervention, Cognitive Performance, and Brain Structure: Results from the Physical Influences on Brain in Aging (PHIBRA) Study.
Topic: Holistic approaches to aging