Exercise Among Older Adults Boosts Brain Power

Encouraging older adults to engage in regular exercise can significantly support and enhance cognitive function as per a study at the University of Tsukuba and the University of California, Irvine ().

Existing research has concentrated on how moderate- to high-intensity aerobic workouts, lasting six months to a year, impact executive function, controlled by the prefrontal cortex. The real obstacle lies in motivating individuals to commit to and maintain rigorous exercise routines.

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‘Aiding cognitive function in older adults can be achieved through regular exercise — moderate- to high-intensity aerobic programs by motivating individuals to embrace and adhere to demanding exercise routines, reveals a new study. # Exercise, #Cognitive Function, # Prefrontal Cortex ’

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Building upon prior investigations conducted by investigators, it has been observed that even brief sessions of mild exercise, such as walking and yoga, can stimulate the brain and yield temporary improvements in cognitive performance.

However, until now, the impact of long-term mild aerobic exercise on brain function in humans, as well as the underlying mechanisms involved, remained unexplored.

The Exercise-Brain Connection

For this study, a group of healthy middle-aged and older adults (aged 55-78) was randomly divided into two groups: one performed low-intensity bicycle exercise three times a week for three months (exercise group), while the other group continued their normal daily routine (control group).

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The research team evaluated the participants' executive function using a Stroop test and assessed prefrontal cortex activity during the task using functional near-infrared spectroscopy before and after the intervention.

The findings revealed that the exercise group exhibited significant improvement in executive function compared to the control group. Notably, when analyzing the data by age, the benefits of mild exercise were particularly pronounced in the older adult group (aged 68-78).

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The underlying brain mechanism behind this improvement involved an increase in the efficient activation of the prefrontal cortex. In other words, executive function was high while corresponding brain activation was relatively low.

These results suggest that even three months of mild exercise can strengthen the brain's functional networks, enabling the prefrontal cortex to be utilized more efficiently during the Stroop test.

This groundbreaking discovery highlights the positive impact of stress-free mild exercise over three months in strengthening the prefrontal cortex and enhancing cognitive function among older adults.

The findings are expected to contribute to the development of new exercise programs and strategies that improve executive function and are easily accessible for older individuals with low physical fitness levels and limited motivation to exercise.

Reference:

Mild exercise improves executive function with increasing neural efficiency in the prefrontal cortex of older adults - (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-023-00816-3)

Source-Eurekalert