Walking: The Route to Delaying Alzheimer's Disease

A new study adds to the mounting evidence that regular exercise can delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by strengthening connections within and between brain networks.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports, looked at the brains and story recollection abilities of older adults with normal brain function and those with mild cognitive impairment, which is a slight decline in mental abilities such as memory, reasoning, and judgement and a risk factor for Alzheimer's ().

Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Brain Networks

"Historically, the brain networks we studied in this research show deterioration over time in people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease," said principal investigator J. Carson Smith, a kinesiology professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

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"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," Smith said.

Walking can Help Improve Brain Function and Delay Alzheimer’s Disease

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, aged 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 repeat it out loud with as many details as possible.

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Older adults with better cardio-respiratory fitness levels had reduced these age-related changes in memory performance and brain activity.

Participants also underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) so researchers could measure changes in communication within and between brain networks that control cognitive function.

After 12 weeks of exercise, researchers repeated the tests and saw significant improvements in participants' story recall abilities.

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"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."

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Reference:

Large-Scale Network Connectivity and Cognitive Function Changes After Exercise Training in Older Adults with Intact Cognition and Mild Cognitive Impairment - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37220620/)

Source-IANS