Physical Activity and Brain Plasticity

Exercise and Dietary Factors Mediate Neural Plasticity Through Modulation of BDNF Signaling

The term “neural plasticity” was first used to describe non-pathological changes in neuronal structure. Today, it is generally accepted that the brain is a dynamic system whose morphology and function is influenced by a variety of factors including stress, diet, and exercise. Neural plasticity involves learning and memory, the synthesis of new neurons, the repair of damaged connections, and several other compensatory mechanisms. It is altered in neurodegenerative disorders and following damage to the central or peripheral nervous system. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate neural plasticity in both healthy and diseased states is of significant importance to promote cognition and develop rehabilitation techniques for functional recovery after injury. In this minireview, we will discuss the mechanisms by which environmental factors promote neural plasticity with a focus on exercise- and diet-induced factors. We will highlight the known circulatory factors that are released in response to exercise and discuss how all factors activate pathways that converge in part on the activation of BDNF signaling. We propose to harness the therapeutic potential of exercise by using BDNF as a biomarker to identify novel endogenous factors that promote neural plasticity. We also discuss the importance of combining exercise factors with dietary factors to develop a lifestyle pill for patients afflicted by CNS disorders.

Regular Exercise with Suicide Ideation, Suicide Plan and Suicide Attempt in University Students: Data from the Health Minds Survey 2018-2019

BACKGROUND

Participating in exercise has been frequently recognized as a protective factor of suicide-related outcome (e.g., suicidal ideation) in children and adolescents, albeit with less of a focus on university/college students (especially using nationally representative sample). This study aimed to explore the associations between regular exercise with suicide ideation, plan, and suicide attempts using the data from Health Minds Survey (2018-2019 round).

METHODS

Using the cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample (n = 62,026; mean age = 23.1 years) with self-reported information on exercise and the three suicide-related measures, binary logistic regression was used to estimate the associations of exercise with suicide ideation, plans, and attempts, respectively, while controlling for age, gender, being an international student or not, and race/ethnicity.

RESULTS

Compared with university students reporting five or more hours for exercise a week, those reporting less were more likely to report yes in terms of suicide ideation and a similar association was also observed in exercise and suicide plan. However, exercise was not significantly associated with suicide attempts.

CONCLUSION

Spending more time exercising may be a protective factor against suicide ideation and plan for university students. Owing to the cross-sectional design nature, our research findings should be further investigated for confirmation or negation.

Forgot to Exercise? Exercise Derived Circulating Myokines in Alzheimer's Disease: A Perspective

Regular exercise plays an essential role in maintaining healthy neurocognitive function and central nervous system (CNS) immuno-metabolism in the aging CNS. Physical activity decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is associated with better AD prognosis, and positively affects cognitive function in AD patients. Skeletal muscle is an important secretory organ, communicating proteotoxic and metabolic stress to distant tissues, including the CNS, through the secretion of bioactive molecules collectively known as myokines. Skeletal muscle undergoes significant physical and metabolic remodeling during exercise, including alterations in myokine expression profiles. This suggests that changes in myokine and myometabolite secretion may underlie the well-documented benefits of exercise in AD. However, to date, very few studies have focused on specific alterations in skeletal muscle-originating secreted factors and their potential neuroprotective effects in AD. In this review, we discuss exercise therapy for AD prevention and intervention, and propose the use of circulating myokines as novel therapeutic tools for modifying AD progression.

Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention on Physical Fitness of schoolchildren: The Enriched Sport Activity Program

Background: Physical fitness in youth is a predictor of health in adulthood. The main objective of the present study was to understand if an enriched sport activity program could increase physical fitness in a population of schoolchildren. Methods: In a sample of 672 children aged 10.0 ± 1.90 years, different motor skills were tested by the 1 kg and 3 kg ball throw (BT), the standing broad jump (SBJ), the 30 m sprint (30mS), the leger shuttle run (LSR), the illinois agility test (IGT), and the quadruped test (QT). Within the controlled-trial, the intervention group (ESA) underwent an additional warm-up protocol, which included cognitive enhancing elements, for 14 weeks while the control group continued with ordinary exercise activity. Results: A significant increase was present regarding the 1 kg and 3 kg BT, the SBJ, the 30mS, and the IGT, while no significant difference was shown regarding the QT and the LSR in the ESA group between pre and post intervention. In the control group, no differences were present for any test except for the QT and the LSR post-test. Conclusion: A 14-week structured physical intervention had moderate effects regarding throwing, jumping, sprinting, and agility in a sample of schoolchildren.