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Boa Sorte Silva NC, Barha CK, Erickson KI, Kramer AF, Liu-Ambrose T. Physical exercise, cognition, and brain health in aging. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:402-417. [PMID: 38811309 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Exercise training is an important strategy to counteract cognitive and brain health decline during aging. Evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses supports the notion of beneficial effects of exercise in cognitively unimpaired and impaired older individuals. However, the effects are often modest, and likely influenced by moderators such as exercise training parameters, sample characteristics, outcome assessments, and control conditions. Here, we discuss evidence on the impact of exercise on cognitive and brain health outcomes in healthy aging and in individuals with or at risk for cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. We also review neuroplastic adaptations in response to exercise and their potential neurobiological mechanisms. We conclude by highlighting goals for future studies, including addressing unexplored neurobiological mechanisms and the inclusion of under-represented populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nárlon C Boa Sorte Silva
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Aging SMART at Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Cindy K Barha
- Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kirk I Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; AdventHealth Research Institute, Neuroscience, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Beckman Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Teresa Liu-Ambrose
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Aging SMART at Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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Stam CJ. Hub overload and failure as a final common pathway in neurological brain network disorders. Netw Neurosci 2024; 8:1-23. [PMID: 38562292 PMCID: PMC10861166 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the concept of network hubs and their role in brain disease is now rapidly becoming important for clinical neurology. Hub nodes in brain networks are areas highly connected to the rest of the brain, which handle a large part of all the network traffic. They also show high levels of neural activity and metabolism, which makes them vulnerable to many different types of pathology. The present review examines recent evidence for the prevalence and nature of hub involvement in a variety of neurological disorders, emphasizing common themes across different types of pathology. In focal epilepsy, pathological hubs may play a role in spreading of seizure activity, and removal of such hub nodes is associated with improved outcome. In stroke, damage to hubs is associated with impaired cognitive recovery. Breakdown of optimal brain network organization in multiple sclerosis is accompanied by cognitive dysfunction. In Alzheimer's disease, hyperactive hub nodes are directly associated with amyloid-beta and tau pathology. Early and reliable detection of hub pathology and disturbed connectivity in Alzheimer's disease with imaging and neurophysiological techniques opens up opportunities to detect patients with a network hyperexcitability profile, who could benefit from treatment with anti-epileptic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelis Jan Stam
- Clinical Neurophysiology and MEG Center, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Abdullahi A, Wong TW, Ng SS. Understanding the mechanisms of disease modifying effects of aerobic exercise in people with Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 94:102202. [PMID: 38272266 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a very disabling disease. Pathologically, it is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain that results in neurodegeneration. Its clinical manifestations include progressive memory impairment, language decline and difficulty in carrying out activities of daily living (ADL). The disease is managed using interventions such as pharmacological interventions and aerobic exercise. Use of aerobic exercise has shown some promises in reducing the risk of developing AD, and improving cognitive function and the ability to carry out both basic and instrumental ADL. Although, the mechanisms through which aerobic exercise improves AD are poorly understood, improvement in vascular function, brain glucose metabolism and cardiorespiratory fitness, increase in antioxidant capacity and haemoglobin level, amelioration of immune-related and inflammatory responses, modulation of concentration of circulating Neurotrophins and peptides and decrease in concentration of tau protein and cortisol level among others seem to be the possible mechanisms. Therefore, understanding these mechanisms is important to help characterize the dose and the nature of the aerobic exercise to be given. In addition, they may also help in finding ways to optimize other interventions such as the pharmacological interventions. However, more quality studies are needed to verify the mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auwal Abdullahi
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Thomson Wl Wong
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shamay Sm Ng
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
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