Much research has shown the positive benefits that exercise can have in improving brain function and preventing the onset of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
A special issue of the journal Brain Plasticity provides new insights into how exercise-induced activation of the peripheral systems, such as muscle, gut, liver and adipose tissue, may improve cognitive health. The special issue contains three research papers and five reviews articles on different aspects of how exercise affects neural plasticity and cognitive function.
It is well-known that physical exercise and maintain or enhance white and gray matter volume and improve cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood. It also reduces neural oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.
“However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In particular, the role of peripheral factors in brain function have only recently begun to be addressed and are the topic of this Special Issue,” according to the report.
The report delves into how exercise plays a role in cognition at the molecular level.
“In particular, exercise-induced activation results in the release of molecules that mediate homeostatic adaptation to exercise and affect brain function,” wrote Henriette van Praag and Christiane Wrann, guest editors of the journal’s special issue, in an accompanying editorial about the research. “At least a dozen peripheral factors have been identified that affect neurotrophin levels, adult neurogenesis, inflammation, synaptic plasticity and memory function.”
The research builds on previous research on how exercise may improve cognitive function and help delay or prevent the onset of neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
“The research collected in this issue corroborates the importance of exercise for memory function,” Wrann, PhD, DVM, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said in a news release. “In the coming years likely many more systemic molecules relevant to the brain will be discovered and may provide a basis for novel therapeutic approaches to neurodegenerative diseases.”
