Exercise helps prevent age-related brain changes in older adults

	Tweet

Older adults who exercise regularly show increased cerebral blood flow and a greater number of small blood vessels in the brain, according to findings presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

The study, conducted at the University of North Carolina (UNC) – Chapel Hill, is the first to compare brain scans of older adults who exercise to brain scans of those who do not.

“Our results show that exercise may reduce age-related changes in brain vasculature and blood flow,” said presenter Feraz Rahman, M.S., currently a medical student at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. “Other studies have shown that exercise prevents cognitive decline in the elderly. The blood vessel and flow differences may be one reason.”

The researchers recruited 12 healthy adults, age 60 to 76. Six of the adults had participated in aerobic exercise for three or more hours per week over the last 10 years, and six exercised less than one hour per week. All of the volunteers underwent MRI to determine cerebral blood flow and MR angiography to depict blood vessels in the brain.

Using a novel method of three-dimensional (3-D) computer reconstruction developed in their lab, the researchers were able to make 3-D models of the blood vessels and examine them for shape and size. They then compared the blood vessel characteristics and how they related to blood flow in both the active and inactive groups.

The results showed that the inactive group exhibited fewer small blood vessels in the brain, along with more unpredictable blood flow through the brain.

“The active adults had more small blood vessels and improved cerebral blood flow,” said the study’s senior author, J. Keith Smith, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of radiology at UNC School of Medicine. “These findings further point out the importance of regular exercise to healthy aging.”

###

The study was funded by the UNC Biomedical Research Imaging Center and by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Co-authors are Elizabeth Bullitt, M.D., Laurence, Katz, M.D., and Bonita Marks, Ph.D.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2008 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press08 beginning Monday, Dec. 1.

RSNA is an association of more than 42,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.

Editor’s note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the printed abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.

Contact: Linda Brooks

630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America

RELATED STORIES:
Discovery of molecule that may hold key to learning and memory   Research at Marshall University may lead to new treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders   Researchers Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease Earlier   Stroke prevention surgery safe for 90-year-olds   Multiple sclerosis risk linked to mononucleosis   Gulf War veterans not at risk for nerve problem   Students Step Closer to Technological Breakthrough in Paralysis Treatment   Recognizing the signs of Alzheimer’s   New application for iPhone may support monitoring and research on Parkinson’s disease   Supplements cut post-stroke hip fracture risk   New approach to Alzheimer’s therapy   Thalidomide may slow Lou Gehrig’s disease

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]