UMD Study Finds Brain Connectivity, Memory Improves in Older Adults After Walking
Published this month in the Journal for Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, the study examined the brains and story recollection abilities of older adults with normal brain function and those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, which is a slight decline in mental abilities like memory, reasoning and judgment and a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
“Historically, the brain networks we studied in this research show deterioration over time in people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease,” said J. Carson Smith, a kinesiology professor with the School of Public Health and principal investigator of the study. “They become disconnected, and as a result, people lose their ability to think clearly and remember things. We're demonstrating that exercise training strengthens these connections.”
Caption: Older adults who walked on a treadmill four days a week for 12 weeks experienced stronger connections in and between their brain networks and better story recall abilities, a new University of Maryland study found. Credit: iStock
The study builds upon Smith’s previous research, which showed how walking may decrease cerebral blood flow and improve brain function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
Thirty-three participants, who ranged between 71 and 85 years old, walked while supervised on a treadmill four days a week for 12 weeks. Before and after this exercise regimen, researchers asked participants to read a short story and then repeat it out loud with as many details as possible.
Participants also underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) so researchers could measure changes in communication within and between the three brain networks that control cognitive function:
- Default mode network - Activates when a person isn’t doing a specific task (think daydreaming about the grocery list) and is connected to the hippocampus - one of the first brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also where Alzheimer's and amyloid plaques, a prime suspect for Alzheimer's disease found around nerve cells, show up in tests.
- Frontoparietal network - Regulates decisions made when a person is completing a task. It also involves memory.
- Salience network - Monitors the external world and stimuli and then decides what deserves attention. It also facilitates switching between networks to optimize performance.
After 12 weeks of exercise, researchers repeated the tests and saw significant improvements in participants’ story recall abilities.
“The brain activity was stronger and more synchronized, demonstrating exercise actually can induce 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 prevent or help stabilize people with mild cognitive impairment and maybe, over the long term, delay their conversion to Alzheimer's dementia.”
Researchers also observed stronger activity within the default mode network, within the salience network and in the connections between the three networks.
###
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Full open access study
“Large-Scale Network Connectivity and Cognitive Function Changes After Exercise Training in Older Adults with Intact Cognition and Mild Cognitive Impairment”, by Junyeon Won, Kristy A. Nielson, and J. Carson Smith (DOI: 10.3233/ADR-220062), published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, Volume 7, Issue 1. The article is available at: content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease-reports/adr220062
About the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports
The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports is an open access journal to facilitate progress in understanding the etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, genetics, behavior, treatment, and psychology of Alzheimer’s disease. The journal publishes research reports, reviews, short communications, hypotheses, and case reports. It provides an open forum for original research that will expedite our fundamental understanding of Alzheimer’s disease. iospress.com/journal-of-alzheimers-disease-reports
About IOS Press
IOS Press is an independent international scientific, technical, medical (STM) publishing house established in 1987 in Amsterdam. We produce around 90 journals and 70 books annually in a broad range of subject categories, primarily specializing in health and life sciences (including neurosciences, medical informatics, cancer research, and rehabilitation) and computer sciences (including artificial intelligence, data science, and semantic web). In addition, we offer specialized services that support scientific advancement. iospress.com