brain plasticity: exercise helps aging brains (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, November 22, 2015, 15:20 (3885 days ago) @ David Turell

A whole journal issue devoted to helping the aging brain, noting growth of cortex thickness with activity:-http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FINS%2FINS21_10%2FS1355617715001149a.pdf&code=95758d08ddbfda9b8a9e7b504bdd5319-"This special issue highlights the results from three exercise intervention studies, each using a different mode of exercise training. In the study by Barcelos et al., the effects of an exergaming intervention is reported to result in improved performance on the Stoop task relative to a low attention exercise control intervention. The structural integrity of the brain, and possible neuroplasticity due to exercise, is reported as greater preservation of white matter volume 12 months after older adults performed a resistance exercise intervention (Best et al.), suggesting durability of the protective effects in white matter. In regard to gray matter, Reiter et al. report that an increase in cardiorespiratory fitness after a walking exercise intervention was associated with increased cortical thickness in both healthy older adults and older adults diagnosed withMCI. In the study by Basso and colleagues, the effects of acute exercise in younger adults are shown to affect performance on tasks of executive functionmediated by the prefrontal cortex, but not hippocampus-related brain function measured by episodic memory and object recognition tasks. Several papers report on cross-sectional differences between physically active and physically inactive, or physically fit versus unfit, participants. The study by Schultz et al. reports that the negative relationship between amyloid burden and cognition is attenuated in older adults who possess greater cardiorespiratory fitness."-Comment: Keep on movin'