Researchers discover how exercise improves learning.
Researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered a movement called “sweet spots” that reverses cognitive decline in aged mice and paves the way for human research.
After more than a decade of research led by Professor Emeritus Perry Bartlett of the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) and Dr. Dunblackmore, the team discovered that 35 days of voluntary exercise improved learning and memory.
“We tested the cognitive abilities of older mice after a defined exercise period and found an optimal period or” sweet spot “that significantly improved their spatial learning,” said Dr. Blackmore. rice field.
Researchers have also discovered how exercise has improved learning.
“We discovered that growth hormone (GH) levels peaked during this time, and we were able to demonstrate that artificially raising GH in sedentary mice is also effective in improving cognitive performance. “Dr. Blackmore said.
“We have discovered that GH stimulates the generation of new neurons in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is very important for learning and memory.
“This is an important discovery for thousands of Australians diagnosed with dementia each year.”
Dementia is the second leading cause of death in all Australians, and without medical progress, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to about 1.1 million by 2058.
Professor Bartlett said the findings provide further evidence that loss of cognitive function in old age is directly related to reduced production of new neurons.
“This underscores the importance of being able to activate neurogenic stem cells in the brain, which was first identified 20 years ago,” says Professor Bartlett.
The team was able to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate how the generation of new neurons altered circuits in the brain.
“We were able to use MRI to study the post-exercise brain and identify for the first time important changes in hippocampal structure and functional circuits needed to improve spatial learning,” said Dr. Blackmore. I am saying.
reference:
“Neuropathic-dependent changes in the hippocampal circuit underlie the cognitive effects of exercise in aged mice” Xiaoqing Alice Zhou, Daniel G. Blackmore, Junjie Zhuo, Fatima A. Nasrallah, XuanVinh To, Nyoman D. Kurniawan, Alison Carlisle, King-Year Vien, Kai-Hsiang Chuang, Tianzi Jiang, Perry F. Bartlett, November 15, 2021 iScience..
DOI: 10.1016 / j.isci.2021.103450
“Exercise” Sweet Spot “by Daniel G. Blackmore, Frederick J. Stein, Allison Carlyle, Imogen O’Keefe, Kingyear Bien, Xiao Ting Chow, and Odette Later is aging due to growth hormone-induced neurogenesis Reversing Cognitive Impairment “Dhanisha Jhaveri, Jana Vukovic, Michael J. Waters, Perry F. Bartlett, October 14, 2021 iScience..
DOI: 10.1016 / j.isci.2021.103275
